Mario Lemieux shoots down 'silly' rumored rift with Sidney Crosby

Former NHL legend and current Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux shot down a rumored "rift" with his superstar Sidney Crosby on Wednesday, saying, "It's absolutely not true. It's silly."

Earlier Wednesday, a report hit the web from Sirius XM and former NHLer Matthew Barnaby, who said on on air that there was "a big falling out" between Lemieux and Crosby.

Numerous outlets ran with the report, including Yahoo Sports' Puck Daddy and NBC Sports' Pro Hockey Talk, but the Penguins seemingly moved quickly to squash the rumor.

Barnaby appeared on Sportsnet's "Brady and Walker" show Wednesday afternoon, after Lemieux addressed the rumor, and stood by his initial report, saying it goes back to the end of the 2014 playoffs.

The Penguins finished the 2013-14 regular season with 51 wins and 109 points, but were eliminated in the second round by the New York Rangers in seven games, losing 2-1 in the deciding contest. Pittsburgh managed only 14 goals in the series.

It's been a rough two months in Pittsburgh, with the Penguins struggling to score - especially Crosby, who has three goals and 11 points in 20 games.