PITTSBURGH

When does the world stop referring to Sid the Kid as, well, the Kid?

Even Sidney Crosby isn’t sure about that one.

After all, this is already his 10th NHL season. Age-wise, he’s closer to 30 than 20. Hard to believe he’s been a Penguin for almost a decade.

Taking all this into account, we ask again: When do you stop calling him “the Kid” when he’s not a kid anymore?

“Yeah, I don’t know when that’s going to stick until,” he laughs.

It is Friday afternoon and we are sitting in front of Crosby’s cubicle in the Pens dressing room at the CONSOL Energy Center. Having just come off a season-opening 6-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks less than 24 hours earlier — a game in which he racked up two goals and an assist — Crosby is trying to wrap his head around how fast his NHL career already has raced by.

“It’s hard to believe,” Crosby says. “It goes by really quick. That’s why the more and more you play, the more and more you tell yourself to enjoy every bit of it. Just the opportunity to compete, be around your teammates and have fun with the game.

“It’s something I think you have to keep in mind.”

Despite the fact he already has a Stanley Cup and two Olympic gold medals to his name, critics want to know why Crosby hasn’t won more NHL championships. All the while, he remains in an omnipresent spotlight that has shone directly on him since he was a wee lad playing minor hockey, one that almost always spawns rumours of injuries and some that pry into his personal life.

With the Penguins coming into Toronto to face the Leafs on Saturday, the Sun sat down with Crosby for a one-on-one looking back — and ahead — on his prestigious career. Without further ado, we present the fourth edition of Sidney Crosby: Unplugged.

First off, are we to assume that your healing wrist is fine after your three-point night against Anaheim on Thursday?

“I feel great. Healthy. Ready to go.”

You’ve taken a pretty good pounding in the first nine seasons of your career, including concussions. There actually have been claims that, even as you approach the prime of your career, your body is breaking down. How do you address those allegations?

“I don’t know. It’s not really up to me, I’m going to try to play the same way. I don’t know how you avoid that. I mean, you want to play in the Olympics. You want to play in the playoffs. And everything that goes with it. So, I’d much rather be harder on my body and competing than being on the outside looking in watching in April. If that’s a tradeoff, then I’ll take it.”

You’ve taken a physical beating during the playoffs, a time when opposing teams seem to target you even more than normal. How do you deal with that?

“I don’t think you are going to avoid that. I think that’s just the nature of it. It’s a different game, the playoffs. They don’t seem to call those games the same as they do in the regular season. You just have to deal with it, find ways to get through it and find ways to create. It’s team toughness. It’s picking your spots. It’s sticking together. There’s really no set rule. I think it’s just in a game like (Thursday) night where it’s 6-3, it’s pretty obvious that they’re going to get a bit frustrated and doing stuff. I think the right thing to do is stick up for a teammate, no matter who it is. In a 2-2 game with five minutes left in regulation, everybody understands that’s not the time to do it. It’s just kind of have that awareness. It’s just one of many things you have to focus on.”

You mentioned an example there from Thursday night in the third period when, trailing by three goals, Ryan Kesler took a run at Kris Letang. Immediately, Blake Comeau and Steve Downie came to his aid. New GM Jim Rutherford said that is an area that he’s tried to address — getting guys in here to watch the backs of the star players. Were the actions of Comeau and Downie encouraging to see?

“Yeah, I think when you look at areas in which you want to improve, that’s one for sure. When you are winning 6-3 and guys (on the other team) want to start taking liberties you have to stick together. That’s part of the game and it’s going to happen. And when it does, you have to have each other’s backs.”

Even with all you’ve accomplished, some feel you should have won more than just one Stanley Cup in your career. How do you feel about that?

“I don’t know what to say to that. I mean, I was in the finals and lost that first time (to the Red Wings in ’08). We were right there in the Eastern Conference final two years ago against the Bruins. (Last spring) we had New York 3-1 and we all know how that ended up. When you look at it, I think there are a lot of players who would like to change places with me. I try to appreciate what I’ve been able to do. But I don’t think there ever will be a time where I’m getting ready for a season or playing in a season where I’m not looking to get a Stanley Cup or the next thing, whatever that might be. I know this: I can never blame myself for not trying or for taking it for granted. I’d love to (win the Cup) every year.”

Why haven’t the Penguins won more Cups in your time in Pittsburgh?

“It takes a lot of elements to come together for things to go right. I mean, those Olympic teams, a lot of guys would have loved to be part of those teams that I was fortunate enough to be part of. Like I said, I always look for the next thing. But after you play for a while, you have a greater appreciation for some of the things you’ve been able to accomplish.”

Is it hard to be Sidney Crosby from the standpoint of always having your life under a microscope? And how do you deal with that?

“I think sometimes you just have to learn to say no. Just understand when to do it. You know, you have a window in which to play an NHL career. You want to enjoy it. You want to be your very best for that time, for however long it is. There’s no guarantees it’s going to be 10 years, there’s no guarantees it’s going to be 20. You have to enjoy it but you also have to understand what comes with it. For me, I was introduced to it pretty young. I had a pretty good idea at a young age what I could handle on both sides of things. I’m still learning, but I think the fact that I was exposed to the spotlight at such a young age helped me. But it doesn’t mean it gets any easier.”

When did you first realize you were in the public eye?

“Midget hockey, somewhere around there. You know, we go to nationals and stuff like that. That’s 12-14 years of always being in the spotlight. And understand this: By no means am I complaining. It’s something that, when you get introduced to it that young, you get an understanding for it.”

What is new Pens coach Mike Johnston like?

“He’s very calm. He’s just very low-keyed. That’s just his demeanour. Even in practice he’s not yelling. In the stands, you can probably hardly hear him. That’s how calm he is. But he communicates well. He likes an up-tempo game. And he’s very detailed. Those are the things I’ve picked up.”

Discuss the free-flowing style of play he is implementing?

“The good thing is, in this system, opponents can’t really key in on one guy. If they focus in on you, there’s two other guys going in on high speed. It does make to tougher for other teams to gap up. When that happens, they seem to back up a little bit. The more you can get into that first wave, the better.”

Finally, you have a new coach, a new GM and a handful of new teammates. Having said that, is the goal for this team the same: Cup or bust?

“I think that’s absolutely the case. I don’t see that changing. Guys come in here. For the guys who have been here, I think they have a pretty good idea about that mentality. So I think when the new guys get here that they realize that the expectations are higher. I think that’s understood.”

THE KID AND THE KIDS

At age 27, he’s not quite ready to adopt the nickname “Sid-The-Artist-Formerly-Known-As-The-Kid” quite yet.

At the same time, Sidney Crosby admits it’s a couple of other kids — Colorado’s Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon — who help him strive to become better, even in this, his 10th year in the league. The three talented forwards work out together during the off-season.

“It’s because of them,” Crosby said. “Especially a guy like Nate. A young kid like that, seeing how hard he works and how hungry he is, it’s impressive.

“I’m not old by any means, but it’s nice to have a guy like that to train beside you because he’s so hungry and eager. That’s the kind of thing that pushes you.”

MIDDLE MAN NO MORE

Malkin isn’t in the middle anymore.

After missing a chunk of camp due to injury, forward Evgeni Malkin (left) returned to action in the Penguins’ season-opening 6-4 win over Anaheim on Thursday. Coach Mike Johnston moved Malkin from his normal centre position to the wing on a line with Brandon Sutter and Pascal Dupuis, a unit that likely will remain intact when Pittsburgh meets the Leafs on Saturday.

“I didn’t play well,” Malkin said Friday. “It was hard, I’m not in the shape I want to be. But it was the home opener. I needed to play. Because when you haven’t played in a while, it’s different. Practice isn’t the same as playing in games.”

The Pens will stay in T.O. through Thanksgiving weekend before leaving on Monday.