Maple Leafs defenceman Dion Phaneuf crushes Penguins forward Sidney Crosby at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pa., Jan. 23, 2013. (JUSTIN K. ALLER/Getty Images/AFP)
PITTSBURGH - Maple Leafs coach Randy Carlyle has enough to worry about, getting his own players headed in the right direction than to fret about two of the game’s greats.
So, rather than over-emphasize the potent dangers of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Carlyle opted to plow forward with his young, work-in-progress team.
It paid off handsomely in Game 3 of the abbreviated NHL season Wednesday night when the Leafs pulled off a sizable upset, spoiling the Penguins’ home opener with a 5-2 win.
