Sidney Crosby’s leadership lifts Team Canada past Finland at Milano Cortina Winter Olympics semifinal

The comeback victory of Canada was another story to the international career of Crosby. As the battle for the gold medal approaches, his leadership and health condition are now the hot topics among the recent NHL news feeds and world hockey news.. Team Canada went into the semifinal with pressure following the exit of Sidney Crosby in the quarter-final against Team Czechia due to an injury. The Penguins captain was not available to play the game against Finland, and the head coach, Jon Cooper, had to rearrange the tasks of leadership.Finland struck at the right time, establishing a 2-0 advantage and threatening to destroy the championship hopes of Canada. The loss challenged the stamina and will of a roster of NHL superstars, such as interim captain Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon. What came in between periods changed all the momentum, though.Although sidelined, Sidney Crosby was instrumental in-between breaks. The senior forward was reported to be loud in the locker room, giving his teammates tactical tweezing and providing a sense of calmness, according to the teammates. His message was about patience, puck support and more offensive zone pressure. The response was immediate. Nathan MacKinnon also initiated the rally with a very important purpose that halved the lead of Finland. The forecheck increased in Canada, and the equalizer was not long after as the group exploited continuous pressure. With the last horn, Team Canada had finished the comeback, and it earned a place in the gold medal game.Head coach Jon Cooper subsequently gave NHL injury updates on Crosby that the forward has a better chance of playing the final than he did in the semifinal. Connor McDavid did not refute the role Crosby plays, as the team remains confident with his leadership without him on the field.Canada is optimistic that Crosby will be in the line-up with a few days to go before the championship battle, which could be with Team USA. Should he, however, make a comeback, it can be one of the turning points in his foreign career. To date, his leadership has already been invaluable in determining the way the Canadians seek the next Olympic gold medal.