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Crosby on Lucic’s Pens-Heat comparison: ‘We appreciate the compliment’

CrosbyBruins

Milan Lucic raised a few eyebrows over the weekend in comparing the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Miami Heat.

On Monday, the LeBron James of this analogy -- Pens captain Sidney Crosby -- took it all in stride.

“We appreciate the compliment,” Crosby told NHL.com. “I’m sure he won’t have too many once we start playing.

“I think it’s a compliment.”

“Think” is probably the operative word here.

Lucic’s comments have been interpreted in a variety of ways -- classified from everything as a legit observation (he called Pittsburgh “the Miami Heat of the NHL with all the star power,” which is fair) to gamesmanship (he and the Bruins embracing the underdog role) to a thinly-veiled shot (remember -- the first year the Heat were assembled, they failed to win it all).

Whatever the case, Crosby isn’t reading too much into Lucic’s statement overall.

“I don’t know how much is meant by it, but at this point I don’t think it really matters what we’re classified as or what we’re like on paper,” Crosby said. “There’s always going to be comments and things like that said, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to go out there and play.”