BUFFALO -- Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby constantly hears the footsteps of youth clomping behind him, the sounds made by a new chapter of so-called generational players looking to overtake him as the face of the NHL.
His response: Bring it on.
You know the debate in question here. You've heard it before and you'll hear it again. Who's the best player in the NHL today? It's the type of call-in fodder that fuels hours of chatter on talk shows throughout various NHL markets, especially in Pittsburgh, Toronto and Edmonton.
In 2015, center Connor McDavid entered the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers accompanied by the type of hype that had followed him back to his youth hockey days. One year later, the selection of center Auston Matthews as the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs spawned predictions of an era in hockey dominated by a Connor-against-Auston rivalry.
But Crosby was not about to close the book on his own story of greatness, one that continues to be written.
"Young players like those guys are driven. They want to be where you are," Crosby said. "It pushes you to be better."
When it comes to team success in recent times, no one has been better than Crosby.
The 2015-16 season started with McDavid making his NHL debut against the St. Louis Blues. It ended 247 days later with Crosby hoisting the Stanley Cup after his Penguins won the Final against the San Jose Sharks in six games.
A 2016-17 season that began with Matthews setting an NHL rookie record by scoring four times in his first game came to a familiar conclusion 242 days later with Crosby again sipping out of the Cup, this time after Pittsburgh defeated the Nashville Predators in six games.
During the 2017 NHL Awards in Las Vegas on June 21, McDavid and Matthews each called Crosby the best player in hockey. McDavid won the Hart Trophy as the League's most valuable player and Matthews won the Calder Trophy as the best rookie, but Crosby's second consecutive Stanley Cup ring and Conn Smythe Trophy as Stanley Cup Playoff MVP trumped all.
At least they did in the opinion of these two young players.
"It's his determination," McDavid said. "He hates to lose."
At anything.
Matthews found that out the hard way during the 2017 All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. Pitted against each other in the shooting accuracy event, Crosby silenced his young rival by hitting four targets in 10.73 seconds, eclipsing Matthews' mark of 12.28.
In an early Christmas present for NHL fans, Matthews, McDavid and Crosby headline a marquee weekend featuring two games that will showcase the sport's elite trio.
Matthews and the Maple Leafs face off against Crosby and the Penguins on Saturday at PPG Paints Arena (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, CBC, ATTSN-PT, NHL.TV). In terms of won-lost record, Crosby has been dominant head-to-head against Matthews (2-1) and McDavid (4-0).
One day later, Matthews and the Maple Leafs host McDavid and the Oilers at Air Canada Centre (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVA Sports, NHL.TV). The teams played in Edmonton on Nov. 30, with Toronto winning 6-4.
According to Crosby, McDavid and Matthews have lived up to their advance billing, which has been pretty substantial. Given the expectations placed on them, Crosby feels they've conducted themselves with maturity and class.
That, he says, it good for the sport.
"I think they're doing a great job of handling it," Crosby said. "I'm sure they're learning every day with each game, but that's just part of the process. They're doing a great job with it.
"I think the game is in such a good place. There are so many great young players throughout the League. Those are two of the guys at the top of the list."
As such, here is Crosby's scouting report on the two 20-year-olds:
CONNOR McDAVID: Speed thrills
McDavid, then 16, made the 127-mile trip south to Pittsburgh for a face-to-face meeting with Crosby and Penguins owner Mario Lemieux in 2013 while with Erie of the Ontario Hockey League. To this day, McDavid still refers to it as a special moment.
Crosby acknowledges McDavid is a special player, and it's his wheels that stand out.
"When you think of McDavid, you think of his speed and what he creates through that," Crosby said. "He obviously has great hands and all the other tools that come with it. But his speed obviously creates a lot of those things.
"He sees the ice so well. A lot of that comes from his speed and knowing where everyone is on the ice."
AUSTON MATTHEWS: Magical mitts
Whether it's his quick release, the velocity of his shot or his ability to dipsy-doodle with the puck in tight quarters, Matthews has earned plenty of kudos for his hands.
Count Crosby among those who are impressed.
"I think with Matthews, his shot sticks out more as far as his goal-scoring abilities," Crosby said. "For me, it's all about his hands."
Matthews finished his rookie season with 279 shots on goal, eighth in the NHL. For Crosby, that's a sign of a player doing what he does best.
"Auston and Connor, they're a little bit different but they've got all the tools, both of them," Crosby said. "And they both play to their strengths."
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