Why not?

That's the approach Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins are taking to the notion of winning a third straight Stanley Cup in 2018.

"I have a pretty good understanding of how hard two is. I can't imagine what three must be like," Crosby said Monday, per the team's website. "I'd love to find out. It's going to be tough, but we're going to training camp with that in mind. It'll be a big challenge, but why not?"

Crosby spent the day celebrating both his birthday and the team's latest Cup win with stops in Halifax and Rimouski, bringing with him the Conn Smythe Trophy, the Rocket Richard Trophy, the Prince of Wales Trophy, and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey championship trophy - all of which he won over the past calendar year. Even more, all that success has come on the heels of Cup and playoff MVP wins the season prior.

The best player in the game is simply trying to take advantage of the opportunities before him.

"Growing up as a kid you want to play in the NHL, you want to win the Stanley Cup," Crosby said "I've been fortunate enough to do that. It's still something that pushes me every day, to be able to win that, to be able to have these kinds of experiences. You have a window to be able to do this. It's not something you take for granted. You have a window and I'm just trying to make the most of that window."

Thanks to a balanced roster that boasts high-end veteran talent, cheap, productive young forwards, and an all-world goalie, the Penguins will be well positioned to defend their title once again.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Ken Holland has his work cut out for him, having assembled a roster that sits almost $4 million over the salary cap.

What's more, the Detroit Red Wings general manager has yet to sign promising restricted free agent Andreas Athanasiou.

Related: The dark age of Red Wings hockey is upon us

Johan Franzen and his $3.95-million cap hit can be buried on long-term injured reserve come opening night, but that's offset to a large degree by the $2.56 million on the books under a previous buyout for Stephen Weiss.

Holland, therefore, anticipates further trimming.

"If everybody is healthy when we get to opening day, we'll probably have to make a move," Holland said, according to Ansar Khan of MLive. "I'm anticipating we'll be over by a little bit."

Complicating matters is the fact no fewer than 10 Wings carry no-movement or no-trade clauses, meaning a player and his salary may need to be placed on waivers and sent to the minors.

Holland said he'd like to carry 13 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goaltenders, per Khan, but might be forced to go with a 21-man roster due to the cap predicament.

It's not an ideal spot for a club that missed the playoffs last season and will be in tough to contend for the postseason in 2017-18, its first year in brand new Little Caesars Arena.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

An absence of NHLers at the Olympics won't make the Canada-Russia rivalry any less intense.

Canada and Russia-2 took part in the Sochi Hockey Open on Monday - as part of a tournament that both sides are using as evaluations ahead of the 2018 Olympic Games - where things got extremely heated.

When the dust finally settled, Russia-2 escaped with a 3-2 victory.

Both sides hopefully proved that maybe the Olympics will be fine without NHL stars.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

There will be no last-minute agreement to send NHL players to the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk made that perfectly clear on "The Naz and Wally Sports Hour" on Zoomer Radio in Toronto on Sunday, emphatically confirming that ship has sailed.

Related: NHL players under contract in minors can't go to Olympics

"The schedule is set. The dates are set. All of our fan appreciation days are set," Melnyk said, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Citizen. "For (the Senators), especially, we're going to Sweden and that's set. We're going to have an outdoor game. You can't move that schedule anymore. There's 31 teams that are planning things and have planned things. We're way, way beyond anything to do with 2018. That's just not going to happen."

The NHL made a formal announcement stating its players won't be going to South Korea back in early April, and it's a door that simply can't and won't be re-opened.

"You asked me if there's any way of fixing this or doing something with this? You can't for this coming season. Absolutely not," Melnyk reiterated. "It's August. We start training camp in a month. People start coming in and then we start full play in early-October. It's actually technically impossible to do. Think of the television that's all set. There's a lot of things that have been set in motion that are pretty much irreversible."

Since the decision was announced, several players have blasted the NHL, while Alex Ovechkin has said he'll be going either way.

In the players' eyes, then, this is far from a dead issue.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

A quick playoff exit led to a summer of change for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Following a sweep in the opening round to the Nashville Predators - who ultimately advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals - the Blackhawks weren't shy about shaking up a team that failed to deliver last spring. It was a disappointing end for a Chicago squad that finished atop the Western Conference and has won three Stanley Cups since 2010.

"If you look at our season last year, I mean, we had a pretty good season," Blackhawks leading scorer Patrick Kane told Brian Hedger of NHL.com. "We just kind of collapsed there at the end. Disappointing finish, but when that happens, you know there's going to be changes."

The Blackhawks will have a different look when they soon retake the ice, thanks to a busy offseason.

Out is Artemi Panarin, shipped to the Columbus Blue Jackets for former Blackhawks winger Brandon Saad. That blockbuster deal was one of two major moves Chicago made on draft weekend, as it also dealt defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson to the Arizona Coyotes for young blue-liner Connor Murphy.

The departures continued over the summer, as defenseman Johnny Oduya signed with the Ottawa Senators, fellow defender Brian Campbell announced his retirement, center Marcus Kruger was shipped to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, and a series of trades saw backup netminder Scott Darling and defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk wind up with the Carolina Hurricanes.

But the Blackhawks aren't without some additions. Joining Saad is another familiar face in Patrick Sharp, who spent an injury-riddled 2016-17 campaign with the Dallas Stars. Sharp could replace Marian Hossa in the lineup, who will sit out the coming season due to a progressive skin disorder.

Asked if the Blackhawks are an improved team, Kane told Hedger, "It's tough to say. I think time will tell, obviously, but I'd like to think on paper we're a better team ... It looks great on paper, but we need to go on the ice and do it."

Kane would know. Not only was he the team's leading scorer last season, he is also just one year removed from winning the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top point-producer, a season in which he was also named the NHL MVP.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Don Maloney is taking on a bigger role with the Calgary Flames.

A year after joining the club as a pro scout, Maloney has been promoted to vice president of hockey operations, the club announced Aug. 3. He'll now work even closer with general manager Brad Treliving, who served as Maloney's assistant for seven of the nine years he spent as GM of the Arizona Coyotes.

NHL clubs are increasingly adopting this team effort mentality with respect to the front office, and Maloney believes it takes a village to raise up a winner in today's game.

"The role of the manager is so big now," Maloney said, per George Johnson of the team's website. "Now it's really a collective effort. I have experience in pretty much every area of management so hopefully I can chip in here and there. This new position is really touching on all areas of hockey operations."

Maloney admits the Flames aren't blazing any new trails by loading up with front-office experience, but it can't hurt, provided everyone is on the same page.

"It's about having a common mindset about what you have to do to be successful," he said. "We're not unique in that. I mean, it's all around the league. There are a lot of hard-working people trying to win. We're no different. But the more good people you have, the better your chances of success.

"Not that we're not going to make our mistakes, but I truly believe the harder you work, the luckier you are. We had a good year last season, a first step to hopefully where we want to take this team over the next few years, which is the Stanley Cup."

One of Calgary's big moves this summer was the addition of goalie Mike Smith, whom both Maloney and Treliving know well from their tenures in Arizona.

In his new role, Maloney will serve as assistant to president of hockey operations Brian Burke.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sidney Crosby spent his 30th birthday celebrating the Pittsburgh Penguins' latest Stanley Cup win, kicking things off by serving as grand marshal of the Halifax-Dartmouth Natal Day Parade.

"It's special," Crosby said prior to the parade, per Dan Rosen of NHL.com. "Any time you can bring (the Cup) home is special, but back to back, it's so difficult to do. And to be able to share that with everyone is unique. I just try to enjoy it as best as I can."

Related: 30 Sidney Crosby facts to celebrate his 30th birthday

The truck in which Crosby rode was followed by a float carrying the Conn Smythe Trophy, the Rocket Richard Trophy, the Prince of Wales Trophy, and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey championship trophy, all of which he won over the past calendar year.

Crosby, of course, won both the Cup and the Conn Smythe last year as well, and doesn't appear to get tired of bringing his hardware home.

"You work hard to win it so you want to share with everybody as much as you can," he added.

Crosby grew up in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, and played junior hockey for the QMJHL's Rimouski Oceanic. A visit to the latter is where he's headed Monday afternoon.

"It was kind of a last-minute thing," he said. "My assistant coach from Rimouski was in town and he said that they had some time if we could make it work. They found a way to make it happen. It'll be cool to bring it back there. That's a place that I have a lot of great memories and I am sure people will be pretty happy to see it."

Crosby won a QMJHL championship with Rimouski in 2005, and will be bringing the Cup to the small Quebec city for the first time.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Sidney Crosby spent his 30th birthday celebrating the Pittsburgh Penguins' latest Stanley Cup win, kicking things off by serving as grand marshal of the Halifax-Dartmouth Natal Day Parade.

"It's special," Crosby said prior to the parade, per Dan Rosen of NHL.com. "Any time you can bring (the Cup) home is special, but back to back, it's so difficult to do. And to be able to share that with everyone is unique. I just try to enjoy it as best as I can."

Related: 30 Sidney Crosby facts to celebrate his 30th birthday

The truck in which Crosby rode was followed by a float carrying the Conn Smythe Trophy, the Rocket Richard Trophy, the Prince of Wales Trophy, and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey championship trophy, all of which he won over the past calendar year.

Crosby, of course, won both the Cup and the Conn Smythe last year as well, and doesn't appear to get tired of bringing his hardware home.

"You work hard to win it so you want to share with everybody as much as you can," he added.

Crosby grew up in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, and played junior hockey for the QMJHL's Rimouski Oceanic. A visit to the latter is where he's headed Monday afternoon.

"It was kind of a last-minute thing," he said. "My assistant coach from Rimouski was in town and he said that they had some time if we could make it work. They found a way to make it happen. It'll be cool to bring it back there. That's a place that I have a lot of great memories and I am sure people will be pretty happy to see it."

Crosby won a QMJHL championship with Rimouski in 2005, and will be bringing the Cup to the small Quebec city for the first time.

Copyright © 2017 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.