Sidney Crosby, until this point, had done everything perfectly. He received the puck from a Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman with speed, and was flying through the neutral zone. The opposing defenseman was caught flat-footed, giving Crosby all kinds of space.

Former teammate Colby Armstrong had seen how this story typically ends for that defenseman through the years, and it’s not a good ending for that guy. But what Armstrong witnessed next sent up all kinds of red flags for where Crosby’s game was at earlier this season.