Crosby is MacKinnon's mentor and one of his best friends. They are both from Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, and work out together every offseason. They've filmed numerous commercials for Tim Hortons together.
In the immediate future, however, there is nothing MacKinnon wants more than for the Avalanche to defeat the Penguins on "Wednesday Night Hockey" (7 p.m. ET; NBCSN) in a game featuring two of the hottest teams in the NHL.
Colorado (5-0-0), the only undefeated team in the League, is coming off an impressive 6-3 victory at the Washington Capitals on Monday. MacKinnon had a goal and an assist, and has had at least one point in each of Colorado's games this season (eight points; two goals, six assists).
The Penguins (4-2-0) have won three straight games and have scored 14 goals over their past two, a 7-4 win at the Minnesota Wild on Saturday and a 7-2 win at the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday.
Crosby was named the NHL Third Star for the week ending Oct. 13 after his seven points (three goals, four assists) helped Pittsburgh go 3-1-0. He has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in six games this season and, like MacKinnon, has had at least one point in each of his team's games.
"I think he's playing some of the best hockey of his career," the 24-year-old MacKinnon said of Crosby, who has won the Stanley Cup three times and been voted the Hart Trophy winner twice as NHL MVP. "It's all about how complete he is as a player. It's not just about points. And he still gets 100 a year. But the way he plays at both ends of the ice, I wouldn't take any player above him.
"For us, it's our sixth game of the season, so I don't think [expectations] are too heightened yet. We have seventy-seven still to go and our focus is on the numerous parts of our game we need to work on. But it's going to be fun playing against the best player in the world, one of the best players to ever play, not just for me but for everybody. Some guys have never played against Sid, so it's really cool for our young players to do that."
Work ethic isn't the only thing MacKinnon had learned from the 32-year-old. He's also fed off Crosby's competitive nature and will to win, so much so that the two friends have gotten into emotional scraps during offseason skates.
"We don't do much chirping to each other in games, but there's lots in the summer," Crosby said with a grin. "We're talking hockey a lot, going back and forth. And yeah, there's the odd little scuffle too. We're pretty competitive, and that tends to happen. You spend enough time around each other, and that tends to happen."