SAN JOSE, Calif. – Marc-Edouard Vlasic says he’s never seen an opponent work harder on the ice than Sidney Crosby.
That’s why he wants to get a closer look at him.
Vlasic has been the San Jose Sharks‘ stopper throughout these playoffs – neutralizing Tyler Toffoli, Filip Forsberg and Vladimir Tarasenko in matchups over the opening three rounds – and he’s hoping to get the same opportunity against Crosby in the Stanley Cup Final.
They didn’t see too much of each other over the opening two games in Pittsburgh, but the Sharks will have more control with the last line change for Game 3 on Saturday night.
Told that he had only matched up against Crosby a little more than a third of the time during two losses to open the series, Vlasic replied: “Yeah, that’s not enough.”
“It should be 90, 95 (per cent) – so 35 (per cent) is too low,” he said Friday. “So 35, that’s 35 against all of the lines, about just as much. There is no matchup there right now.”
It stands as one of the most obvious changes Sharks coach Peter DeBoer can make with the series shifting to SAP Center.
While it won’t be a cure-all given the Penguins’ daunting depth, disrupting Crosby is a priority because of how well he’s played so far. As a result, the Pittsburgh captain can expect to see a healthy dose of Vlasic and partner Justin Braun.
Vlasic and Crosby are plenty familiar with one another, having gone head-to-head since their days in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League – not to mention winning a gold medal together with Team Canada at the Sochi Olympics.
“I was 16 or 17 (when we first met), he played in Quebec,” said Crosby. “(He’s) very steady – kind of really good offensively, but really smart defensively. I remember playing against him a lot, we were in the same division.
“He always did everything well.”
The feeling is mutual. Earlier in the series, Vlasic compared the challenge of facing Crosby to putting the top three opponents he faced in the first three rounds together.
“He works harder than anybody I’ve played against,” said Vlasic. “He’s strong, probably has a better backhand than a forehand. So you steer him the way you want, it’s probably the way he wants you to steer him to.
“He’s an elite player, he’s one of the best and I’ve always enjoyed playing against him.”
One of the things DeBoer has preached to his players is recognizing that they won’t be able to dominate the Penguins like they have other teams.
With Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel each playing on a different line – “I mean, all three of those guys make more than anybody on our team,” observed the Sharks coach – they have to get used the ice occasionally being tilted against them.
“There’s a few things we have to do differently, but you have to get your head wrapped around (the fact) Pittsburgh – with their numbers and the way they played from the second half of the season on – you’re not going to dominate a team like that for long stretches,” said DeBoer.
“You’ve got to be comfortable making the opportunities you get and the swings of momentum you get and you’ve got to make sure you cash in on them.”
They should certainly receive a boost from playing in their own building – where the Sharks are 7-2 this spring – in what is arguably the most important game in franchise history. Anticipation has been extremely high here after a 25-year wait to host a Stanley Cup Final game.
The Penguins are prepared for it.
“Everyone knows when you’re at home you have that energy, that spark, especially off the start,” said Crosby. “I would expect them – given the situation and being at home – to be desperate to play fast and shoot a lot of pucks.”
While the focus on Crosby briefly shifted to an immaterial aside after Sharks centre Logan Couture accused him of “cheating” on faceoffs following Game 2, the real story is how well he’s performed all over the ice.
He picked up two assists over the first two games while displaying incredible attention to detail. His focus has truly been next-level stuff. Vlasic knows how important the No. 87 assignment will be on the home bench and hopes DeBoer entrusts him with it.
“I’d like to play against him more,” he said. “Maybe through the first two games I wasn’t matched up as much as I’d like to against him. Hopefully Game 3 and 4 I can be.”
Clearly he likes a challenge.
