"The Toronto Maple Leafs will be in Pittsburgh Saturday night to take on the Penguins and their star captain had plenty to say about his opponent. Sidney Crosby will likely be shadowed by Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly tomorrow night and he respects both of them.
«I watch games, and you can see that (Rielly) is always up in the play,» Crosby said of Rielly, per Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star. «He's a really good skater, he's great at getting pucks through to the net. He doesn't need that huge slapshot, he's good with those little wristers through traffic.
«He's a guy that continues to get better year after year. You can see the confidence he's playing with.»
Crosby and Matthews have a lot in common. They both play the same style of game and the both were the number one overall pick. Crosby knows all about having the hopes of an entire fan base placed on his shoulders.
«Just by getting to know him a little bit, just his maturity, the fact that he played in a pro league before he played in the NHL, and played with older guys . . . his demeanor is probably a strength when you're playing in a market like Toronto, with all the pressures and expectations,» Crosby said. «I think he's handled it really well.» "
