Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon brave snowstorm for optional practice - ESPN

Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon emerged for Team Canada's optional practice on Thursday as if it was any other day.

Naturally, they were first to arrive. Unnaturally, the duo might have some sort of superhuman work ethic.

Because Crosby and MacKinnon were the only skaters, aside from Canada's healthy scratches, to brave a Montreal snowstorm and further hone their craft — when less than 12 hours earlier they were the last two players doing media availability until midnight following Canada's thrilling 4-3 overtime win against Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Crosby had three assists in the game, including a helper on Mitch Marner's OT winner, and played 17:10. MacKinnnon scored one goal and played nearly 20 minutes. No matter. The Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia-bred teammates and close friends would not be denied a chance to improve further, even without a single coach on their section of the sheet. It was just a pair of superstars, doing drills and working on one-timers.

«Those two, they're hockey junkies,» Canada coach Jon Cooper said. «It's really cool to be a part of this with them. Everything is about the game, and they talk about the game, they live the game, and you don't see that a ton. When you rise to this level, you can have a tendency to take your foot off the gas or get used to the life. But those two, they don't take it for granted.»

Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon wrap up their on-ice session by picking up after themselves, of course pic.twitter.com/C9H6eFmjez

That's especially true for Crosby, who almost missed the tournament entirely with an upper-body injury that forced him out of the Pittsburgh Penguins' final two games before the NHL's schedule broke for 4 Nations. Crosby had previously been named