Sidney Crosby gave Dan Muse and the Penguins an unexpected preseason storyline after landing in the middle of two heated scrums against Detroit.
Pittsburgh's captain usually saves his biggest edge for meaningful games, but Tuesday's exhibition against the Red Wings quickly became personal. Crosby twice came close to taking matters further as bodies gathered around him.
Detroit eventually skated away with a 7-4 win, yet the score became secondary once Crosby started getting involved after whistles. The intensity looked much closer to a regular-season matchup than a September tune-up.
One sequence showed Crosby helping start a scrum before backing away as teammates and Detroit players crowded together. Officials stepped in quickly before the situation went any further.
That visual created another question for Pittsburgh's younger players fighting for roster spots. When the captain is surrounded during a preseason game, coaches notice who responds and who stays outside the pile.
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Pittsburgh reporter Josh Yohe pointed directly at that dynamic, suggesting young players should feel some pressure to respond when Crosby repeatedly finds himself in those situations.
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Crosby's edge sends a message through Pittsburgh
Crosby isn't known for regularly dropping the gloves, which made two separate confrontations stand out even more. This wasn't a star drifting through exhibition hockey waiting for opening night.
For Muse, the incidents also offered an early glimpse at the competitive temperature inside his group. Pittsburgh has roster decisions coming, and preseason games give bubble players limited opportunities to show what they bring beyond points.
Nobody needs Crosby proving his commitment. The bigger issue is what happens around him when opposing players push back and the temperature rises.
That's where young Penguins can make an impression. Winning a bottom-six or depth job often comes down to details away from the puck, bench trust and how a player reacts when a game turns nasty.
The Penguins already had some positive preseason momentum before facing Detroit, including a 4-1 win over Buffalo earlier in the week. Joel Blomqvist earned the decision in that outing.
But Crosby's night against Detroit created a different type of evaluation for the coaching staff. The captain brought the emotion, and everyone else had to decide how closely they were willing to follow.
For a preseason game that won't count in the standings, Pittsburgh suddenly has something meaningful to watch as roster battles continue.
Should Penguins players respond faster when Sidney Crosby gets surrounded?
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