"I think they're really both high-end players," Guentzel said. "Not much changes on my end. Both are really skilled. You want the puck on their stick. ... I don't want to change too much. When you're missing guys, I think you want to raise your play. I think that's what everyone's trying to do, but you don't want to change too much."
Consistency and the ability to rise to the occasion are important attributes of Guentzel, who helped the Penguins win the Stanley Cup as a rookie in 2017. Guentzel has 184 points (93 goals, 91 assists) in 231 regular-season games in the NHL and 43 points (24 goals, 19 assists) in 41 playoff games.
That he produces with the help of Crosby and Malkin does not lessen his contributions to the Penguins.
"That's OK," McCann said. "Sometimes you like to play in the shadows. It's good to see him hopefully get some recognition."