It was November in Montreal and Sidney Crosby had just put on a show in the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ shootout victory.
Penguins defenseman Kris Letang spoke to French reporters after the game. He then asked him a question in English that people of many languages had pondered.
How impressed are you that Sid is still doing this?
“You ask me the same question every year,” Letang responded.
Yes, but Crosby is 36 years old. And he still plays at this level.
“Yes,” said Letang, now completely agitated. “And it will continue to do so. You know why?”
Because?
“Because it’s Sidney Crosby, that’s why. He is the same guy he has always been.”
Nobody disputes it.
Crosby just authored an unforgettable season, producing 42 goals and 94 points, tying Teemu Selanne for the most season points by a 36-year-old player in NHL history.
However, if you dig deeper, it will be even more impressive.
Due to injuries and a trade, Crosby played nearly half the season without his preferred left wing, Jake Guentzel. He also had to play 20 games without his favorite right back, Bryan Rust, also due to injuries. Crosby played on a directionless power play that had plenty of problems, and Crosby’s performance wasn’t chief among them. He managed just 13 power-play assists all season, evidence of a completely lost unit that prevented him from scoring cheap points.
How many points would you have scored if the Penguins had a functional power play? Given that he finished with 94 points on the season, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that he would have surpassed the hundred mark. That’s probably a euphemism.
“Sid is still amazing,” said Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet, who once coached that power play in Pittsburgh. “He’s the best. He really is.”
Crosby’s numbers would have been pretty sensational if offense was his only job, but his list of responsibilities is endless.
Play against the other team’s best forwards? Check.
Take almost every major matchup (and win almost 60 percent)? Check.
Do you see more ice time than just a handful of forwards in the NHL despite their age? Check.
Crosby’s brilliance wasn’t enough to lead the Penguins to the postseason, but from an individual standpoint, he pretty much did it all this season.
When will it stop?
Crosby will turn 37 on August 7. Despite his remarkable longevity and stamina, it’s fair to wonder when Father Time will introduce himself to Crosby. After all, even the greatest athletes face this fate at some point.
The good news for Crosby is that in this era, athletes are more dominant than ever at older ages due to many variables, including nutrition and changes in fitness technology.
Tom Brady, LeBron James, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Steph Curry and Lionel Messi have all shown in recent years that being in your 30s doesn’t necessarily indicate a sharp decline in greatness as it has historically. in professional sports.
Crosby is clearly a member of that group. He can only be compared to the best players in history. Here’s a look at what some of them did in their age 36 and 37 seasons:
• Mario Lemieux played only 24 games when he was 36 due to a hip injury, although he managed to captain Canada and win the gold medal that season. In those 24 games with the Penguins, he produced 31 points, which equates to 1.29 points per game.
He was noticeably better (and healthier) in his age-37 season, putting up 91 points in 67 games, which equates to 1.36 points per game.
• Wayne Gretzky’s numbers finally began to plummet. He was still the Great One, albeit aging, as he posted 90 points in 82 games during his age-36 season. The following season (he turned 38 in January of that season, so add half a year if he deems it necessary) Gretzky’s numbers fell. He produced just nine goals and 62 points in 70 games in his final NHL season, which equates to 0.89 points per game.
• In terms of sheer consistency, if not style of play, Crosby has a lot in common with Gordie Howe.
It’s perfectly fitting, then, that Howe followed up his 76-point campaign in his age-36 season with a 75-point season the following year, playing in 70 games each season.
• Like Gretzky, Marcel Dionne finished his NHL career with the Rangers. And like Gretzky, Dionne was excellent in his age-36 season before suffering a sharp decline at age 37.
Dionne produced 65 points in 67 games in the 1987-88 season. The following season, his final NHL season, he managed just 23 points in 37 games.
• Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are indelibly linked. Ovechkin, who is 23 months older than Crosby, began showing signs of aging at age 38. However, he was still himself the season before.
At 36 years old, Ovechkin had a classic season, scoring 50 goals and 90 points. There was a slight setback the following season, but at age 37 he still managed 42 goals and 75 points in 73 games.
• Like Lemieux, Joe Sakic was better in his age 37 season than he was at age 36. Sakic followed an 87-point campaign at age 36 with his sixth and final triple-digit scoring season, recording 100 points in 82 games at 37 years old.
What does this all mean?
It’s impossible to say. Crosby shares traits with all of the players mentioned above, but he is actually a singular force whose consistency, talent and drive have made him the best player of his generation. He was better off at 35 and 36 than at 32, 33 and 34.
Of course, that trajectory won’t continue forever. But it is rare and a complement to its remarkable longevity.
What sets Crosby apart is not so much his impressive physical talent but his drive, training and hockey IQ.
There were no signs of those attributes slowing down this season, and there’s reason to believe Crosby’s dominance could continue for a little while longer.
(Photo: Steph Chambers//Keynote USA/Getty Images)
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