Kevin Allen

USA TODAY Sports

TORONTO – Steven Stamkos and his pending free agency were the talk of Toronto for months last season and still Stamkos wouldn’t pretend to relate to the load of pressure and expectations Sidney Crosby carries on a daily basis.

“Everyone is looking at him, whether it’s the coaching staff, teammates, media, fans,” said Stamkos, the Tampa Bay Lightning captain. “Everyone is looking for him to produce, and he does. That’s a tough thing to do.”

At 29, Crosby has entered the second half of his career and yet it seems like he's still improving.

The Canadian captain is leading the World Cup of Hockey in scoring (seven points) and plus-minus (plus-7) in four games. He’s been the best player, by a significant margin, on the best team in the tournament.

“There are reasons why he is considered the best player in the world,” Canada defenseman Brent Burns (San Jose Sharks) said.

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If Canada defeats Team Europe in the best-of-three World Cup championship that starts Tuesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN), it will mean that Crosby has won two Olympic gold medals (2010 and 2014), a World Championship (2015) and a World Cup (2016) over the past six years. Two months ago, Crosby captained the Pittsburgh Penguins to his second Stanley Cup and won his first Conn Smythe as playoff MVP.

“He has dealt with a lot of pressure and expectations at every level,” said Canada forward John Tavares, captain of the New York Islanders. “I think he trusts who he is and his ability to play. He’s obviously having a tremendous tournament for us.”

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Crosby has been as effective away from the puck as he has been with the puck at the World Cup. Watching him play in this tournament is like watching a coaching video on how to play the game the right way.

“I just think he knows how good he is and he’s more patient with what he is doing,” Canada coach Mike Babcock (Toronto Maple Leafs) said. “When things don’t go well, he doesn’t get frustrated. When people cross-check him, he doesn’t get riled up. He just knows he’s going to have success over time.”

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Team Canada linemate Patrice Bergeron says Crosby has even taken “bigger steps in becoming a legend of the game.”

“When things don’t happen right away on a shift, you can tell he knows something is going to happen in the next couple of shifts if he keeps going at it,” said Bergeron, the Boston Bruins' first-line center.

Crosby has been playing with Bergeron and Brad Marchand. The trio has 16 points in four games. Overflowing with stars, the Canadian team respects what Crosby is able to do with the spotlight always on him.

“It’s a different world than I am in,” Bergeron said. “He always has cameras on him. They are always dissecting his game. It’s not an easy situation, but he handles it perfectly.”

Stamkos said he can’t even imagine the level of pressure Crosby faces. “He does an amazing job of tuning it out and going out and playing his game and realizing he’s the best player in the world,” Stamkos said. “It’s pretty fun to watch when he’s on your team.”