From TSN's Frank Seravalli:

The hockey world’s eyes will be focused on Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, watching intently as Connor McDavid faces off against Sidney Crosby for the first time.

The matchup will be billed as the second coming of Gretzky versus Lemieux - and the parallels are certainly there, both with the teams represented and the fact that perhaps the game’s best two players will compete on the same ice.

The pure skill and skating from Crosby and McDavid is easy enough to see. But what may be under appreciated is how McDavid and Crosby generate the speed that clearly sets them apart from the rest of the NHL.

McDavid, now 19, has been compared to Crosby in just about every way imaginable: hockey sense and timing, hand-eye coordination, playmaking ability, and even his deferential off-ice demeanor.

In a league full of elite skaters, though, McDavid is maybe the best since Crosby.

How do McDavid and Crosby literally break away from the pack?

According to Crosby’s skills coach, Darryl Belfry, it is with the use of linear crossovers.

Continued...