In front of 70,000 freezing Buffalo Sabres fans, Sidney Crosby dashed their hopes of enjoying the winter wonderland. As the snow fell in Orchard Park, NY, Crosby hit the go-ahead and game winning shootout goal with a delightfully soft 5-hole shot on goalie Ryan Miller. As fans exited and new team captain Crosby celebrated with his comrades, one thing was clear: Sidney has arrived. In his first real prime time opportunity, Crosby displayed his dazzling playmaking abilites (even with the terrible conditions) and he set up the Pens only regulation goal, nearly scored half a dozen more on his own, and finally ended the game with a delicate tap.He might not be Wayne Gretzky, but who cares? The sports world spends so much time trying to decide if someone is the next Michael Jordan or the next Barry Sanders that they don't enjoy what they have. And in Sidney Crosby, the world has found a fun, exciting, young player who represents the best ambassador the game has offered since Mario Lemieux. For that, they should be thankful enough.
