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Sidney Crosby: ‘Maybe we got away with a bit too much on skill’

New York Rangers v Pittsburgh Penguins - Game One

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 02: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins takes a face-off against the New York Rangers in Game One of the Second Round of the 2014 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Consol Energy Center on May 02, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Justin K. Aller

Sidney Crosby has opened up, speaking about a season in which the Pittsburgh Penguins fell well short of their ultimate goal - the Stanley Cup.

The Penguins gave up a 3-1 series lead and were knocked out of the playoffs in the second round by an emotionally charged New York Rangers team. Crosby, despite playing well, produced only a goal and three points in that seven-game series.

Evgeni Malkin had only one goal and two points in the final three games of that series.

The premature post-season exit cost Dan Bylsma his job as head coach, and Ray Shero’s job as general manager. Crosby, who denied a disconnect with Bylsma, took his share of the blame, in conversation with Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.

“I think as far as finding that identity, and don’t get me wrong I think in the regular season it’s important to have success and we’ve proven that, but we have to find a way in the playoffs to elevate our game,” said Crosby, as per ESPN.

“It doesn’t mean change our identity, but we have to elevate it. We haven’t done quite as good a job at doing that. Me personally, I’m not taking myself out of that mix either, going pointless against Boston (in the 2013 conference finals) and not really doing a whole lot in the New York series, it’s not easy to deal with that in the off-season. You don’t like having memories like that.

“That being said, you have to find a way to elevate your game. I think for us, each round it gets tougher and tougher, there’s less space, it’s more physical, maybe we got away with a bit too much on skill during the regular season and weren’t able to grind teams down and play the way you see some teams have success in the playoffs. Keeping that in the back of our mind should help us going into next year.”

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