Crosby nears 1,000 points at full speed
The most impressive aspect of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby approaching 1,000 career points is that we might not have seen his best work.
Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford said he thinks Crosby, who has 998 points in 753 games going into Thursday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche, is still finding ways to refine his game.
“I don’t know if there is any other athlete in the world who is more prepared to be successful,” Rutherford said. “It started at a young age, and it has never dropped off. And it never will.”
At 29 years, 185 days through Wednesday, Crosby is in position to become the 12th youngest to reach 1,000 points. He also
would rank 12th fastest with 753 games entering Thursday’s meeting.
Nobody has done it faster since Jaromir Jagr reached 1,000 points in 2000, not long before Jagr’s 29th birthday.
“(Crosby’s) at a level all by himself right now,” Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland said. “Can he take it to another level? I wouldn’t put it past him.”
New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero, a former Pittsburgh GM, calls Crosby’s dominance Gretzky-like.
“(Wayne) Gretzky, Mario (Lemieux), Gordie (Howe) — those are the best (forwards) ever — we get that,” Shero said. “But what Sid has done, getting 1,000 points as quickly as he has, with the injuries he’s had, and how hard it is to produce points now, he’s been amazing. Never take this guy for granted.”
It’s challenging to compare Crosby’s feat to other greats of the game because the majority of players who made it to 1,000 points faster played much of their careers in the 1980s when scoring rates were higher.
With an NHL-leading 30 goals in 46 games, Crosby is on a pace to score 50 goals for the first time since 2009-10.
“He’s been playing the best hockey of his career,” Holland said.
Averaging just over three shots per game, Crosby isn’t shooting the puck more often, but he’s scoring on 19.9% of shots, compared with 14.8% for his career.
“I do know he has a great shot,” Rutherford said. “People talk about (Alex) Ovechkin and (Ste- ven) Stamkos, but Crosby’s shot is a bomb. But I don’t think people recognize that or talk about it as much.”
Not many NHL players have known a nine-month period of hockey success equal to what Crosby has enjoyed. Since June, Crosby has won a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy, led Canada to the World Cup of Hockey championship and been named that tournament’s MVP.
“What also stands out to me is how he fulfills his leadership role quietly and in a terrific way,” Rutherford said.
While attending the recent AllStar Game, Gretzky said Crosby is who young Edmonton star Connor McDavid must dethrone if he wants to be known as the league’s best player.
“(Crosby) is the hardest-working guy out there,” said Lemieux, the Penguins owner. “Whether it’s at practice or a three-on-three game at practice, he wants to win. He wants to be the best.”
Nothing has stopped Crosby, not multiple concussions, a broken jaw or a neck injury he has suffered in his career.
With two Olympic gold medals, two Stanley Cup championships, two Hart Trophies, two Art Ross Trophies and one Rocket Richard Trophy, Crosby has a complete résumé. He was one of six active players named to the NHL’s Top 100 list recently.
“When Pittsburgh won the lottery (in 2005) to get Crosby,” Shero said, “it really won the lottery.”