TORONTO – Sheldon Keefe can relate to roller-coaster of emotions Nick Robertson is feeling on game day.
For the Toronto Maple Leafs head coach, too, grew up idolizing a larger-than-life Pittsburgh Penguins centreman.
“I was a huge Mario Lemieux fan, so playing against him was different. We had a couple battles that he certainly won’t remember, but I remember very well,” Keefe recalled fondly on Remembrance Day, thinking back to his early-2000s playing days.
“It’s part of growing up. It’s sort of your welcome to the league. That’s the biggest thing to get through.”
Nicholas Robertson, 21, will face off against his boyhood hero, Sidney Crosby, Friday night in Toronto at the Hall of Fame Game.
The California kid is already battling to stick in the Maple Leafs lineup. On this eve, he’ll also be wrestling with anticipation.
“He was my guy,” Robertson said. “My idol growing up. Pretty excited for that. But it’s another game I gotta be focused on playing. It doesn’t matter who the opposition is.”
Robertson and Crosby have never met, despite sharing an agent, Pat Brisson.
Robertson recalled peppering Brisson with questions about Crosby, whose posters were on his wall and whose replica sweater was on his back as a youngster.
“Everything you can imagine. I was a big Pittsburgh fan and big Crosby fan,” said Robertson, who admired the future Hall of Famer’s competitive drive as well as his vocal command in-game.
“I remember him calling for the puck a lot. So, I incorporated that into my game when I was younger, and people used to say I called for the puck too much.”
Robertson acknowledged that he’s had to fight starstruck nerves on a regular basis since he made the show.
“I’ve played against a lot of players now. I’ve been like, ‘Oh, my God,’” he said. “I have more things to worry about.”
Robertson should take solace in knowing that Crosby, too, endured similar jitters way back in 2005-06.
“I felt like it was every night, to be honest with you, my first year,” Crosby said. “You look up to guys. One year you’re trying to learn from them and watch them. The next year, you’re playing against them.
“It’s a fine line. You want to respect their skill and what they do, but you also want to compete hard against them. That’s something that you learn to work through.”
At 35, Crosby is still tearing through the league.
Heading into this stretch where Pittsburgh plays Toronto three times in two weeks, the captain leads all Penguins in scoring (15 points in 13 games).
“In my eyes, that's who I see as the best,” said Mitch Marner.
"Obviously, (Connor) McDavid, Auston (Matthews) and a couple other guys have been really taking it to another level as well, but just Crosby overall. I mean, that's a guy I've always watched growing up and was always a guy you wanted to be on the ice against, play against — if you're lucky enough. It's always a cool one when you get to line up against him.”
Especially for Robertson.
Deep down, the boy in him might even be a little tempted to asked for a stick to go with all the Crosby paraphernalia he’s never thrown away.
“I don’t know. It would be nice if I got one, but I have a game to focus on tonight,” Robertson said.
“I’m not an eight-year-old Sid fan anymore. I have a big game to focus on.”
One-Timers: Backup goalie Casey DeSmith gets the call for Pittsburgh in the first half of its back-to-back. “He wants the net,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. ... After four consecutive hardworking, positive days on ice, there is still no certainty whether Leafs goalie Matt Murray will make his return Saturday versus the Vancouver Canucks. “I'm focusing one day at a time. Just doing things right. That's the biggest thing right now, is making sure I'm fully ready to go before jumping in,” Murray said. ... Friday’s Hall of Fame Game will be loaded with history and emotion — and a heaping helping of Swedes. “For as long as I can remember, this was always a game I was excited to watch on TV,” Keefe noted. Keep an eye out for special guest Börje Salming. "When you think of the Leafs, you think of him," Keefe said.
Maple Leafs Projected Lines Friday vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Kerfoot - Matthews - Marner
Robertson - Tavares - Nylander
Bunting - Engvall - Järnkrok
Aston-Reese - Kämpf - Malgin
Rielly - Liljegren
Brodie - Holl
Giordano - Sandin
Källgren
Petruzzelli
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