PITTSBURGH -- It took less than a minute for Sidney Crosby to remind the 18,605 fans in attendance at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday night that he was the best hockey player in the world. With his Pittsburgh Penguins deadlocked at two games apiece in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final with the Nashville Predators, he owned the make-or-break Game 5 from the opening faceoff.
Just like that, Crosby may have shifted the momentum of a series that had appeared to be rolling in Nashville's favor. His three-assist night gave him 20 career points in the Cup Final, passing Mario Lemieux for the franchise's all-time mark. But it was clear after the resounding 6-0 win that Crosby -- now one win from a third Stanley Cup championship -- was mostly preoccupied with getting the Cup-clinching win Sunday night at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, where the Predators are 9-1 at home in the playoffs this season.
"Still a lot of work to be done," Crosby said. "We know we're going to face a desperate team. We've already played two games there and know the atmosphere and know how much they feed off their fans. We've still got a lot of work to do there."
The Penguins' captain made his presence felt throughout Game 5, from dishing dazzling assists to slamming Predators defenseman P.K. Subban's head into the ice.
Before some in attendance even had the chance to take their seats, Crosby was barreling down the ice toward Predators defensemen Ryan Ellis and Roman Josi, unraveling the pair before firing a shot on net. He didn't score, but Crosby did draw a holding penalty on Ellis on his first shift. Just 41 seconds later, Crosby slid a precise pass to Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz, who made no mistake on the one-timer to open the scoring.
It was the Crosby show from that point on.
On his next shift, Crosby stole the puck from Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne behind Nashville's net and created another quality chance. Less than a minute later, he took an errant pass deep in the right circle and directed the puck between his own legs before firing a cross-ice pass for another quality chance.
"When you have a guy who can elevate his play to that level, who is that determined, it's fun to see," said veteran forward Matt Cullen. "It's fun to be a part of and it's easy to follow. He's our leader on and off the ice."
Pittsburgh's other stars contributed, too. Evgeni Malkin had two points, including his third goal of the series, and Phil Kessel had a goal and two assists. But no one on the ice -- perhaps no one off the ice, either -- could match Crosby's fire. That was especially evident during a skirmish behind the net with Subban late in the opening period. In an exchange perhaps more befitting the mixed martial arts octagon, Crosby planted himself on top of Subban and proceeded to shove the defenseman's head into the ice multiple times. After days of back-and-forth between the pair dating back to Subban's assertion after Game 3 that Crosby had criticized his breath, a claim Crosby later denied, the Penguins star almost appeared to be scolding his All-Star counterpart with each successive shove.
"He was doing some UFC move on my foot. I don't know what he was trying to do," Crosby said of Subban. "I don't know what he was trying to do to my ankle. I was in some kind of lock he had going on there. I don't know what that was."
When asked after the game if it's getting personal between him and Crosby, Subban said, "It's hockey, man. ... If those opportunities come when someone does something that warrants a penalty, then it's up to the officials to call it. If they don't, then we just gotta move forward."
Crosby and Subban both got offsetting minor penalties for holding. But the skirmish seemed to send a message likely to resonate however much longer this series lasts: Stay out of Sid's way.
Crosby started the second period the same way he started the first. Drifting toward the back of the net, Crosby made a perfect backhand pass to Conor Sheary, who deposited the puck into the net to give Pittsburgh a 4-0 lead 79 seconds into the middle frame. Crosby had his back to Sheary when he made the flawless feed, so it was the kind of play no team could possibly plan for.
"It was a pass right on my tape. The pass beat the goalie, so I just had to put it in the open net," Sheary said. "You can't really draw that up when Sid makes that play."
By the time Crosby earned a secondary assist on Kessel's goal 8:02 into the second to make it 5-0, the game was effectively over. Thanks for coming, everybody. See you in Nashville.
Still, Crosby wasn't done sending a message for Game 6 -- or creating controversy. While protesting a missed call by the officiating crew in the second period, Crosby disrupted the game when he appeared to toss a water bottle on the ice as the play transitioned back into Pittsburgh's zone.
"I made a gesture, and it came flying out of my hand. I didn't try to throw it," Crosby said. "I have a better arm than that, anyway."
Bizarre as the moment was, it may have demonstrated how fully invested Crosby is in bringing the Stanley Cup back to Pittsburgh. After all the talk of his on-ice exchanges with Subban, after all the talk of when he'll finally take over this series, Crosby is clearly as fired up as we've ever seen him. And that could be a very, very scary proposition for the Predators.
"I don't know that I've ever been around an athlete -- not just a hockey player but an athlete -- that is as driven as Sid is," said Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. "He's as hungry as I've seen a player. I just think he understands it. He sees the opportunity in front of us, and he's doing everything within his power to try to help us be successful."