from Bob Smizik of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

Johnston’s greatest challenge will not be installing a system that will best utilize the Penguins’‍ superior offensive talent. No, what he needs to do is find out what’s wrong with Sidney Crosby and fix it.

Beat reporter Rob Rossi, appearing on “The David Todd Show” on 970 ESPN Wednesday, talked at some length about the absence of joy in Crosby.

Crosby moped through the postseason and produced a horrible performance. He never looked like the Crosby of old. Tuesday night, he received three prestigious awards, including the NHL MVP, and instead of being in a celebratory mood, he looked like, as Rossi put it, ''someone had just punched him in the stomach.’’

It’s possible the Penguins‘‍ plans to rejuvenate Crosby go beyond Johnston. Rick Tocchet was named an assistant coach to Johnston Wednesday. He was hired by the team, not Johnston. In an article about the hirings, Scott Burnside of ESPN.com wrote, ''If guys don’t want to play hard for Tocchet, they don’t want to play hard.’’

He also pointed out that Tocchet has a close relationship with Mario Lemieux. The two are former teammates. Maybe Lemieux thinks Tocchet can fix what ails Crosby.

Of course, Crosby, a famous self-starter, might rejuvenate himself in the offseason.

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