TORONTO — If Sidney Crosby is not at the top of anyone’s list of the best players in the game Minnesota Wild Hats Authentic , he is only a notch or two below it.When the Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night, however, Crosby will still be looking for his first goal of the season.Meanwhile, Toronto’s rising star and quickly becoming one of hockey’s elite players, Auston Matthews, has been scoring at will this season.Article continues below ...The center has 10 goals already, despite not scoring Monday night in a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, after notching at least one goal in each of Toronto’s first six games.Matthews did have two assists, which gives him at least two points in each of his first seven games, the fifth player in NHL history to do so to open a season.“He’s a real player, he’s just growing, he’s just a kid and he’s going to get better Custom Minnesota Wild Jerseys ,” Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. “He’s dangerous when he’s on the ice and that line is a good line right now. We’re fortunate that we appear to have quite a bit of depth, we’re still kind of evolving, trying to figure out how we’re going to play everybody, but I think we’re going in the right direction.”Crosby was held off the score sheet Tuesday in the 3-2 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks and has four assists in the Penguins’ first five games.Penguins coach Mike Sullivan believes that Crosby’s scoring problems are part of a general problem affecting the team.“Just like our team, I think one of the things we’re trying to encourage Sid to do is shoot the puck a little bit more, simplify his game,” Sullivan told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I just think he’s too good of a player not to break out of this. We just have to stick with it. Just keep working through it and not get discouraged.”Crosby has taken seven shots on goal in the past four games.“I think for the most part, as far as scoring chances go, we’ve had enough to win games,” Crosby said. “(Tuesday’s loss was) another example. I felt like we generated some good ones, but we’re going to play some games that are tight, and you’ve got to capitalize on the ones you get.”Sullivan said www.officialcanadiensprostore.com , “He had some Grade-A chances. He had a couple of real high-quality chances. He seemed to have a few in the last couple of games. The puck just won’t seem to go in the net for him right now. He’s too good of a player to keep off the score sheet.”With Toronto’s William Nylander not playing because of a stalled contract negotiation, Kasperi Kapanen is taking advantage of his chance to play with Matthews, who has six assists. Kapanen scored twice Monday and has four goals this season.“It’s not just Auston, obviously he’s had a tremendous start to the season, but it’s also Patty (Marleau),” Kapanen said. “Playing with those two, it’s amazing, it feels easy and it’s just clicking right now. I’m just enjoying it and trying to get better day by day. I know we have a couple of notches still left.”The Penguins could have their No. 1 goaltender, Matt Murray, starting Thursday. Murray missed one game after being diagnosed with a concussion. He has been out since Oct. 8. He was backup to Casey DeSmith for two games, including Tuesday.Murray allowed 11 goals in his first two games and Sullivan thought the goaltender would benefit from watching a couple of games from the bench before making his first start since the concussion.The Maple Leafs will likely be without their No. 1 goalie, Frederik Andersen Montreal Canadiens T-Shirts Authentic , because of a sore knee, which developed during the 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals Saturday.“I felt it, but it didn’t flare up too much,” Andersen said. “And then (Sunday), it was swelling just a little bit more. So that’s where we are. Nothing too serious but preventing me to be in some positions.”Garret Sparks took his place Monday and stopped 33 of 34 shots. He could get the start again Thursday if Andersen is not ready. VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Most of the faces have changed but it will still be tough to get a ticket when the Boston Bruins (4-2-1) visit the Vancouver Canucks (4-3-0) on Saturday night.Wounds over Vancouver’s loss to the Bruins in the 2011 Stanley Cup finals have lingered in recent days on the city’s airwaves and elsewhere, so the contest is expected to be a sellout. Never mind that most players from the 2010-11 versions of the Bruins and Canucks — along with their coaches — are long gone.Canucks coach Travis Green wants his young charges to prove that they can be a difficult team to beat, and the Bruins will provide plenty of motivation.Article continues below ...“I want our team to be hard to play against, I do. Winning teams are hard to play against and by hard to play against, that means many things,” Green told reporters recently. “That means playing fast. That means making good puck decisions, winning puck battles. For me Montreal Canadiens Hoodies Authentic , hard to play against is a burning desire to win that comes from your group and I want our group to stick up for each other and stick together. And that’s what winning cultures have, and I want that in our group.”The rebuilding Canucks demonstrated an ability to compete by beating Carolina, Tampa Bay, Florida and Pittsburgh during a recent six-game road trip on which they won four and lost two.“We learned a lot about ourselves,” center Brandon Sutter told reporters. “When we’re doing the right things, we can play with anyone. We kind of showed that.”Green earned praise for telling his troops not to seek retribution after Florida defenseman Mike Matheson sidelined star rookie Elias Pettersson with a concussion that will keep him out Saturday. Matheson earned a two-game suspension for his actions.But the Canucks’ tempers will be tested as Bruins forward Brad Marchand pays a visit. Marchand, known for questionable antics, has been persona non grata in Vancouver for his actions in the 2011 championship series, and fans are likely to show their displeasure with him from the get-go. Time will tell whether the fans’ emotions rub off on the players.Meanwhile, the Bruins will attempt to get back on the winning track after suffering two straight losses, the latest being a 3-2 overtime setback in Edmonton on Thursday. Boston’s defense could be revised Saturday after veteran rearguard Kevan Miller suffered an undisclosed upper-body injury against the Oilers.Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy faces a decision on Miller’s possible replacement. Regardless of who is selected, Miller’s absence could result in more ice time for captain Zdeno Chara Montreal Canadiens Hats Authentic , 41, who played his 900th game for the Bruins against the Oilers.“It’s a huge honor — it’s a privilege,” Chara said of his long tenure with Boston. “I’ve been really proud of being part of this organization and very thankful to have owners like we have, and they make it very convenient for me and my family to stay in this organization in Boston for as long as we have.”Chara is one of the few Bruin holdovers from the 2011 finals. Selected by the Islanders in the third round (56th overall) of the 1996 NHL entry draft, he played for the Islanders and Ottawa before signing as a free agent with the Bruins in 2005.“You appreciate what he does more and more every time you see him, especially at his age,” Cassidy told reporters.