Maybe you won’t find him in the top ten of the productivity table anymore, maybe the NHL already belongs to a generation of younger guys. But Sidney Crosby is still an excellent hockey player, and the thirty-six-year-old Canadian consolidated his position as one of the top players in NHL history with another extraordinary feat. He recorded his 19th consecutive season with an average of at least a point per game. He equaled Wayne Gretzky’s record!
Sure, the NHL and Alex Ovechkin fans primarily live off of Gretzky’s league highs, but Crosby’s freshman record is certainly extremely valuable as well.
It is not something as eye-catching as the total number of goals in the NHL, but 19 seasons in a row with an average of at least one point per night is perfect proof of the long-term performance of the Pittsburgh captain.
And also the ability to adapt to different eras, teammates and the limits of one’s own body and the ravages of time. Crosby has never compromised on said standard since entering the NHL. Whether he was nineteen or thirty-five.
Whether he was healthy or had to play after concussions, a broken jaw, hernia surgery or even mumps, he always finished the regular season with at least as many points as he played in the game. Thanks to his enthusiasm for training, his desire to improve and learn new tricks and also, of course, tremendous talent.
The fact that it will be the same this year was definitely confirmed by the game on the ice of the New York Rangers, where it was Gretzky who ended his career at the end of the last millennium and also broke his streak when he scored “only” 62 points in the season with serial number 20. Crosby had two goals, one assist, at Madison Square Garden.
“To get on Gretzky’s side is truly amazing. It’s not a record I wanted to talk about upfront, I didn’t want to shout it out. But I knew I was getting close to him,” said the leader of the Penguins.
Of course, Crosby’s wish would be to advance to the playoffs after last year’s hiatus, so he does both the possible and the impossible (he has 82 points, scored 37 times), but the 2005 draft pick is often desperately alone in his efforts. Especially after the Jake Guentzel trade.
“All the milestones he’s been reaching lately only prove that he’s one of the best hockey players not only among his generational companions, but also of all time,” Pens coach Mike Sullivan said. He knows he can lean on Crosby, rely on him. No matter what, year after year.
Thanks to regular point harvests, Crosby is rising through the history of the NHL. In Pittsburgh, he is already the second most productive player in history (behind Mario Lemieux), and by the end of the regular season, he could jump into the elite ten across the entire league. He has Phil Esposito in front of him.
Needs 7 points. He has 8 duels left. More than playable at his pace.
And then, aside from the team’s success, which Crosby is primarily concerned with (he himself talks about it repeatedly), there is a new challenge for next season. Don’t end up like Gretzky. And make the joint record a purely personal affair. The chance that he will succeed is considerable given his talent, approach and the current direction of the NHL.
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