A Winning Habit
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Montreal Canadiens: Covering Sidney Crosby No Easy Task

By Scott Cowan

MONTREAL, QC - OCTOBER 13: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates the puck on a breakaway in a shootout against the Montreal Canadiens during the NHL game at the Bell Centre on October 13, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in a shootout. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - OCTOBER 13: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates the puck on a breakaway in a shootout against the Montreal Canadiens during the NHL game at the Bell Centre on October 13, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 in a shootout. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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Montreal Canadiens, Sidney Crosby
MONTREAL, QC – OCTOBER 13TH: Sidney Crosby Montreal Canadiens (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /

Sidney Crosby has achieved almost all you can achieve in an NHL career. Except for one thing. A playoff series win against the Montreal Canadiens.

“Welcome to the Crosby show Canada!”

A line that still rings in the ears of most hockey fans whenever the name Sidney Crosby is mentioned, especially for the Montreal Canadiens.

Facing the Habs, his favorite boyhood team, in the team’s first shootout on November 10th, 2005, the then 18-year-old Crosby went in on goaltender Jose Theodore, faking to his forehand before firing a backhand right over the crossbar, resulting in Gord Miller’s now-famous call.

At that time, Crosby had 20 points in 17 games, an impressive start for the 1st overall pick in the 2005 NHL entry draft. He would go on to record 102 points on the season, winning the Calder Trophy, and the rest is history. Crosby’s name and career need no introduction at this point, as he’s made a name for himself as one of the best players in modern NHL history, with 1263 points in 984 games.

With 3 Stanley Cups, 2 Art Ross Trophies, 2 Hart Memorial Trophies, 2 Conn Smythe Trophies, and Olympic Gold, just to name a few, it seems as though Crosby has accomplished all you can accomplish in a professional hockey career, with one exception.

A playoff series win against his boyhood team.

Yes, believe it or not, the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins have only met in the playoffs twice, and only once with Crosby on the team. Having just come off his 1st Stanley Cup in 2008-09, Crosby and the Penguins were upset in 2009 by an underdog Canadiens team that rode Jaroslav Halak to a magical Conference Finals run. Now, more than ten years on, Crosby and his Penguins teammates have a shot at redemption, in a fashion.

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