PITTSBURGH, Pa. Ray Nitschke Super Bowl Jersey . - Sidney Crosby understands the price of disappointment. And while others — namely Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma — will likely face the consequences following another early playoff exit, the NHLs brightest star isnt shirking his share of the blame. The way Crosby sees it, Pittsburghs failings lie with the guys who pull the sweaters over their heads. "At the end of the day we feel responsible," Crosby said Thursday. "We are the guys that go out there and want to perform and want to win and we have that expectation." Ones that werent met for a fifth straight spring after the Penguins frittered a 3-1 series lead in an eventual seven-game loss to the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. A half-decade after hoisting the Stanley Cup in Detroit at age 21, Crosby and the franchise he represents are still searching for a bookend. "Its difficult to win and I dont think theres been any lack of effort from players, coaches, anybody in the conversation," Crosby said. "I dont think its been a lack of trying." There has, however, been a lack of doing. The Penguins have been a marvel during the regular season under Bylsma, who is 252-117-32 since taking over for Michel Therrien in the late stages of the 2008-09 season. Yet all those regular-season triumphs havent prevented Pittsburgh from being knocked out of the playoffs by a lower-seeded team five straight times. Pressed on what needs to change, Crosby didnt point to the coaching staff but instead a shift in mindset, particularly when the post-season begins. "Maybe we need to adjust the way we play a little bit better and play more physical," Crosby said. Its a challenge the Penguins have faced relentlessly during the Crosby era. The leagues leading scorer and likely MVP scored just once in 13 playoff games — a career low — and spent plenty a month on the receiving end of punishment from Columbus centre Brandon Dubinsky and New York defenceman Marc Staal. Crosby insists he wasnt rattled, even if at one point in Game 6 against the Rangers he found himself on the bottom of a dog pile with New York goaltender Henrik Lundqvist squirting him with a water bottle. Not exactly the best position to ward off a comeback. "Im not saying I cant be better," Crosby said. "I dont think my focus was lost. ... You can go back to the years we won and youre not going to see anything different but we won and thats a big thing." And it will be the focus going forward regardless of who is in the front office or behind the bench. While Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will have their numbers hanging in the dressing room when the club reconvenes in September, there could be plenty of new ones hanging alongside them. Forward Jussi Jokinen — whose seven playoff goals led the Penguins — is an unrestricted free agent. So is Lee Stempniak, who never quite meshed with Crosby after being brought in near the trading deadline. Defenceman Brooks Orpik, the teams longest tenured player, may be done in Pittsburgh after 11 seasons. Matt Niskanen, arguably the teams best defenceman all season, will hit the open market and may command too high a price to stick around. Then theres goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, who played steadily throughout the playoffs but knows he could be expendable with one year left on his current deal. "I really hope I stay," Fleury said. "Its my team here. Its where I want to play." Its a sentiment echoed throughout the locker room. For all the misery that accompanied the stunning fall against New York, Pittsburghs talented core remains in the midst of their primes. Crosby is 26. Malkin is 27. So is defenceman Kris Letang. Fleury is still months away from turning 30 and bounced back from a miserable 2013 post-season by holding the Rangers to just 15 goals in seven games. "I dont know if theres many problems," forward Brandon Sutter said. "I think its more little things that arent really huge. Maybe fresh ideas can change that. I dont think theres much that needs to be fixed, maybe a few things shaken up. Theres a few different ways. It doesnt necessarily mean anyone has to leave." In theory, perhaps. The Penguins know they are constructed to raise championship banners, not flame out in the post-season. Yet it keeps happening. "Expectations are high," Crosby said. "If you dont deliver you have to own up to that as players and as an organization. We all understand that. Well see what happens from here." JK Scott Super Bowl Jersey . Each day, TSN.ca provides the latest rumours, reports and speculation from around the NHL beat. The latest from Bob As tweeted by TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie on Monday, the Columbus Blue Jackets need to resolve their offseason plans with forward R. Mason Crosby Super Bowl Jersey . 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell while figuring out which players can make the biggest difference and hold the greatest value. http://www.packersonlineteamstore.com/tony-brown-jersey.html . Iwakuma pitched seven strong innings to stay unbeaten in road games since last July, leading the Seattle Mariners to a 5-2 win over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday night. PARIS -- Novak Djokovic won his 15th straight match and Roger Federer avenged last weeks loss to Juan Martin del Potro, setting up a semifinal match between the two at the Paris Masters. Djokovic beat Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland 6-1, 6-4, while Federer defeated Del Potro of Argentina 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 Friday. Top-seeded Rafael Nadal also moved into the semifinals with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Richard Gasquet of France and will next play either defending champion David Ferrer or Tomas Berdych. Federer earned his first victory over a top-10 player since January, when he outlasted Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. "Thats definitely good for my confidence, because those are the kind of wins I need right now," Federer said. "Im happy now I won against a top-10 again, especially just before London where I will have to play against three top-10 players in a row." The eight quarterfinalists at the Paris Masters are the same eight who have qualified for the ATP World Tour Finals in London next week. Federer lost to del Potro in last weekends Swiss Indoors final, but the 17-time Grand Slam champion played nearly flawless tennis in the first set, making 17 winners and only four unforced errors. Del Potro fought back in the second set, saving a break point in the opening game before converrting his second break chance at 5-4 to level the match when the fifth-seeded Swiss netted a forehand. Randall Cobb Super Bowl Jersey. In the deciding set, Del Potro sent a forehand into the net to drop serve at 3-3 and Federer won the match when the Argentine hit a forehand long. Djokovic, who saved all six break points he faced, won 13 of 19 points at the net. "Coming to the net is one of the improvements that I had recently," Djokovic said. "It didnt click so fast, trust me. I had to work and put in many, many hours on the practice court that you guys dont see." Wawrinka lost five-setters against Djokovic at the Australian Open and the U.S. Open this year. "When he plays that good its very difficult, especially on this surface where hes the best, I believe," Wawrinka said. Nadal improved his record against Gasquet to 12-0 despite a crowd cheering loudly for the only Frenchman left in the draw. The Spaniard, who is seeking a record sixth Masters title in a single season, broke for a 4-3 lead with a crosscourt backhand return winner. Gasquet struggled with his one-handed backhand against Nadals powerful groundstrokes. The U.S. Open champion went a set up when Gasquet made a backhand error. Nadal took a 4-0 lead in the second set and finished off Gasquet by whipping a forehand winner down the line. ' ' '