The Penguins will try to slow down the 20-year-old right wing when they face the Jets at Bell MTS Place on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, ATTSN-PT, NHL.TV). Laine, who leads the NHL with 19 goals and has 11 in his past four games, has scored one goal in four games against Pittsburgh.
Crosby has five points (one goal, four assists) in three games since returning from an upper-body injury. The 31-year-old center looks forward to playing against Laine, who he thinks has established himself as one of the best pure shooters in the NHL.
"I think, like any young player, you just gain confidence every year," Crosby said. "With his shot, he's well aware of the shot he has, and he uses it. He's got great hands. But yeah, his shot sticks out the most."
Pittsburgh (9-8-5) is 2-0-2 after going 1-7-1 in its previous nine. Winnipeg (13-7-2) is 6-3-1 in November.
Defenseman Kris Letang said the Penguins would attempt to guard against Laine's "bomb of a shot," but also have to be aware of the Jets' other key players.
"We're going to play a guy that scored five goals," Letang said. "Obviously, we're going to pay big attention to him, but they still have a lot of weapons. They're a good hockey team. They're a contender every year. So we're just going to have to play a good, solid road game with a defensive conscience and that's it."