SAN JOSE – Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has been in Macklin Celebrini’s spot before, and offered some advice to the budding San Jose Sharks star about being on a losing team to start your NHL career.
Crosby scored a remarkable 110 points as an 18-year-old rookie in 2005-06 after he was selected first overall by the draft-lottery-winning Penguins. But Pittsburgh still finished 29th out of what was then a 30-team league with a 22-46-14 record.
“I think just enjoy it. Nobody likes losing, no matter if you’re in your first or 20th year,” Crosby said Monday before the Penguins played the Sharks at SAP Center. “This is the reason you play, to win games, and that’s what it’s about.
“But I think for him, understanding that process, and he’s a competitive guy, he wants to win every night. There’s nothing wrong with that. That’s how you have to be, but you’ve just got to enjoy it.”
The Penguins made the playoffs in Crosby’s second season, but that might be a stretch for the Sharks and Celebrini.
While Celebrini, 18, was among this year’s NHL’s rookie leaders with 35 points in 40 games, the Sharks entered Monday in last place in the NHL’s overall standings with a 14-32-6 record. The Sharks had lost six straight before facing the Penguins, as they had allowed six goals or more in four straight games.
“I think he’s having a great year. I think the more he plays, the more comfortable he gets, the more confident he gets, and he looks like he’s having a lot of fun and playing good hockey,” Crosby said of Celebrini. “He’s going to be a big part of their team from now on.
“You can tell that he’s committed to playing both sides of the puck, and he cares a lot about being a two-way player. His skill and everything speaks for itself, but for a young player to be interested in playing on the other side of the puck and want to get better there, that’s something I think any team loves to see.”
The now 37-year-old Crosby and Celebrini met in the summer of 2023. While Connor Bedard was that year’s first overall pick in the NHL Draft, there was already well-founded speculation that Celebrini would be the No. 1 pick in 2024.
“I think just seeing how he was doing,” Crosby said of that first meeting. “I think being able to relate to all the attention, all the demands, all the things that come with being in his position, it happens pretty quick. It’s always a busy time leading up to your first year with a lot of expectations. I was more interested to see how he was doing with all that.”
The Penguins beat the Sharks 4-3 in a shootout in the first meeting between the two teams this season. Celebrini didn’t have a point but had over 19 minutes of ice time as the Sharks scored one goal in the second period and two in the third as they erased a 3-0 deficit and forced overtime.
“Really dynamic. (He) sees the ice well. Great shot. He does everything really well,” Crosby said of Celebrini. “You look at different guys; maybe their speed sticks out, or their shot, or their playmaking. I think he’s just really solid in every one of those areas. And I think just from watching briefly, I think he’s a guy that really takes a lot of pride in being a two-way guy, too.”
Originally Published:
Source: Paradise Post
