For the first four years of his career, Sidney Crosby’s faceoff skills ranged from abysmal to mediocre. Not many people cared. He was already an MVP and a Stanley Cup champion.
One person cared, however. Crosby. He didn’t want flaws in his game, so he worked hard on his draws heading into the 2009-10 season. He became one of the NHL’s best, winning 55.9 percent of his faceoffs.
His coach, Dan Bylsma, took note. Now that Bylsma is the coach in Buffalo, he’ll pass on those notes to the Sabres’ talented prospects.
“I know that those players aren’t great because they have talent,” Bylsma said of Crosby and Pittsburgh teammate Evgeni Malkin.