On the level of Gretzky. Crosby has an impressive record, but Pittsburgh is struggling

Crosby, Gretzky. No one else could do it.

Even with this, the thirty-six-year-old Canadian proves his exceptionality.

It is true that in many seasons he did not even play half of the duels, he often suffered from injuries. That is also why he surpassed the hundred-point mark “only” six times.

On the night from Monday to Tuesday at Madison Square Garden, he recorded the 80th, 81st and 82nd points of the season, and he is already certain that he will maintain his point per game balance in the current year as well.

“I knew I was getting close to it, but I didn’t want to talk about it too much. However, any time you match Gretzky at something, it’s pretty decent,” he told reporters after the game.

Against the Rangers, he picked up his first assist after just eighteen seconds when Bryan Rust sent his hard shot into the open cage. In the middle of the first period, he made it 2-0 himself thanks to a great run in the circle. Gretzký’s record was then matched in the last minute, when he secured the victory 5:2 with a goal into an empty net.

“It’s respectable how he’s stayed at the elite level for so long. His body of work and every milestone he reaches speaks for itself. They are just further proof that he is one of the best players of all time, not just of his generation,” Sullivan wrote about him.

Another legendary striker Gordie Howe comes closest to Crosby and Gretzky with seventeen seasons, followed by a larger group of players with fifteen, including teammate Evgeniy Malkin.

The two of them belong to the icons of Pittsburgh hockey. And while the Russian forward is struggling a little in the current season, Crosby is excelling again. Mainly thanks to him, the Penguins can still think about advancing to the playoffs, even though they need to work hard at the end of the season.

“To win at Rangers is huge. We know the situation we are in. No one will have mercy on us, we have to win no matter what it costs. We managed the game as a team and hopefully we can bounce back from that,” Crosby described.

Pittsburgh desperately needs every point. And he has managed to get them lately, the victory on the ice of the Rangers was already the fifth game in a row from which the Pens did not leave empty-handed. And the same applies to the personal statistics of Crosby, who collected a fantastic thirteen points during this series.

“There’s not much that hasn’t already been said about him. I enjoy watching what he can do on the ice. Of course, his productivity is amazing and thanks to it, he will go down in the history of the competition. But he is much more than just a great shooter. The way he behaves and what he does makes him one of the best leaders to ever play hockey,” Pittsburgh goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic did not spare compliments.

Crosby was also honored three times by other players across the NHL, when they voted him the best hockey player in the 2006/07, 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons. He won the league scoring twice, became the top scorer twice, he has the same number of Hart trophies for the most valuable player at home.

Pittsburgh captain Sydney Crosby receives the Stanley Cup.

In addition to all of this, he also led Pittsburgh to three Stanley Cups as a captain in 2009, 2016 and 2017. However, it is in the playoffs that Crosby hasn’t shown much lately. He was absent in the elimination part in his first season in the competition, then only in the last year. But since their last title win, the Penguins have won only one playoff series.

In the NHL, it is quite common for teams to alternate successful eras with rebuilding, where they spend several seasons at the bottom of the league. The team from Pennsylvania is currently at an imaginary crossroads, balancing which direction to take. Some might argue that general manager Kyle Dubas didn’t decide to take a radical step and start selling off massively. With the pre-season arrival of defender Erik Karlsson, he gave a clear signal that he wants to give the dynasty around Crosby, Malkin or Letang one last chance to win the trophy.

It is quickly receding, because Pittsburgh is still out of the playoff positions. Whether Crosby makes it to the playoffs with the Penguins or not, he has already secured his status as one of the best hockey players in the world.

And maybe he could also show up at the World Championships in Prague in May, where nine years ago he led Canada to gold with a badge on his chest. He will most likely not achieve success at the club level, the most valuable medal from the world championship could thus tempt him.