Sidney Crosby was a little dismissive of any good feelings that come from his wins in the NHLPA's player poll, a survey of the league's players that named him the most complete player, the smartest player, and the player they'd want responsible for taking a faceoff if needed.

"I don't think about that a lot," he said. "I'm like, minus-20-something. I look at that as I don't like being on for goals against."

Crosby did say he appreciates the recognition from his peers, especially for the "most complete" accolade, because it encompasses all the little things it takes to win, including being a good teammate. The fact that the votes come from his opponents is something special.

"It means a lot," he said. "I mean, those are the guys you compete against every night. It's one of the best compliments you can have is it's from the people that you compete against every night."

But still, for someone who cares as much about team success and winning as Crosby does, it's difficult to get too excited about something like this knowing the season will be coming to an early end on Thursday.

"It's a challenge when you're losing," Crosby said. "It's not just losses, it's the what happens when you lose. There's a trickle-down effect. It's a competitive business, and the (player) movement, there's a lot of things not to like to go losing. You put a lot of work into trying to win games. It's just the trickle-down and how things add up that makes it tough."