Crosby expecting 'butterflies' ahead of matchup with Sweden
Sidney Crosby has a wealth of experience, but even the future Hall of Famer says he'll be battling nerves when he lines up for Canada against Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off opener at Montreal's Bell Centre on Wednesday night.
"That's part of the game, and these are the games you want to be part of as a hockey player," the Canadian captain told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger. "And that's a big part of it and why you put so much into it. You love it, and that's why you put so much into these big games.
"I mean, I think there's going to be anticipation, butterflies, all those things. That's what makes these moments great."
Crosby's status for the tournament was in doubt due to injury until he deemed himself good to go Monday. The Pittsburgh Penguins star, who also wears the "C" for his NHL club, missed the last two games heading into the break.
"Yeah, I'm playing," he reiterated Wednesday. "I think it'll be something that I'll have a better idea of how it feels once I get into the flow of the game, as far as knowing what I can do out there. But I feel really good, really confident going into it. That's the biggest part. Mentally, I feel really good about it."
The 37-year-old soaked up the atmosphere as one of a handful of players to take part in Wednesday's optional skate.
"I haven't played in a while (Feb. 4), so it's nice to get out there," Crosby said. "There's worse places to have a morning skate than at the Bell Centre in a situation like this. I mean, this building, there's a certain feel to it, with so much history. It's just a hockey feel."
Crosby was instrumental in helping Canada win gold at the Olympics in 2010 and 2014, as well as at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey - the most recent best-on-best men's hockey tournament. He scored the "golden goal" in overtime to defeat the United States in the championship game in 2010.
The Nova Scotia-born center leads the Penguins in assists (41) and points (58) through 55 contests this season.