Penguins compensate for sluggish Crosby

Sidney Crosby always has been No. 1.

The No. 1 most-watched youth player in Canada. A No. 1 draft pick. No. 1 in scoring in his second NHL season. The No. 1 player in the league by his fellow players’ votes last season.

Crosby’s career-long refusal to be anything but the best highlights the most surprising element to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ run to the Eastern Conference finals that start Friday night against Philadelphia. Evgeni Malkin, not Crosby, has been their No. 1 player in the postseason, and it’s been evident.

“I think Malkin right now is the best player out of those three,” said Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen, referring the conference’s Big 3 of Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, Malkin and Crosby.

It’s not as if Crosby is stuck in some gosh-awful slump, although he has only two goals – one an empty-netter – as the Penguins have won eight of nine playoff games. His 12 assists lead the playoffs and his 14 points are one off the lead.

Still, Crosby looks uncharacteristically sluggish at times, unable to use his exceptionally strong lower body to fend off defenders. He’s not been nearly as explosive in his skating or on bursts to the net to snap off hard wrist shots.

Imagine that: The 20-year-old Crosby is having the kind of playoffs few players will experience, yet is being asked if he’s off his game.

“The middle part of the last series I wasn’t where I wanted to be, but the last game I was a lot better,” Crosby said, referring to his two-assist game Sunday as the Penguins eliminated the Rangers by winning 3-2 in overtime. “I think it’s just one of those things where you get a couple of games that are tougher, and that’s just the case in the playoffs.”

What is uncertain is how much the high ankle sprain that sidelined Crosby for 28 of 31 games from mid-January on is affecting him.

Crosby insists he’s fine, but he said the same thing in the playoffs a year ago, when he masked a broken foot until the Penguins were eliminated.

Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury also had a high ankle sprain in early December, or five months ago, and he occasionally feels twinges in his ankle.

Crosby was the NHL’s leading scorer with 63 points in 46 games before he was hurt. Since returning, he has 23 points, but only six goals, in 16 games.

Philadelphia had a 5-3 edge in the regular-season series.

Halpern injured

Tampa Bay Lightning center Jeff Halpern ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during the world hockey championships and is expected to be sidelined until late December or early January.

Halpern also sprained the medial collateral ligament and suffered a small tear to the lateral meniscus during the United States’ 5-4 loss to Canada in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Tuesday. He’ll have reconstructive surgery in 4 to 6 weeks.