This story originally appeared in Sportsnet magazine. Subscribe here.
How does the old saying go? You can’t improve on perfection?
Apparently you can.
Consider what we’ve seen from Sidney Crosby this season: The Kid is not only back, he’s better than ever. Despite all the health woes he’s endured over the past few years, many around the NHL believe the Sidney Crosby we are watching in this shortened season is the best Sidney Crosby of all time.
Through 33 games, Crosby had a 12-point lead in the NHL scoring race. His 53 points put him on pace to finish this 48-game season with 77—extrapolated over a regular 82-game season, that’s a 132-point pace. No player has done that—top 127 points—since Mario Lemieux finished the 1995–96 season with 161. Lemieux, by the way, prior to Crosby being felled by his concussion two years ago, insisted Crosby was putting on a better show than he ever did. Crosby’s 82-game pace this season would also have him win the Art Ross by 27 points, something no one has done since Wayne Gretzky won the scoring title by 32 in 1990-91.
And how well was Crosby doing when he collided with David Steckel on New Year’s Day 2011? He was on pace for a 132-point season.
So, by the numbers, Crosby is right back where he left off, exactly the player that the NHL nearly lost, the one, deep down, no one truly expected to see at his best again.
It’s all the more incredible when you consider that Crosby is putting these numbers up playing with Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis—not exactly the Production Line, it must be said. But the threesome has chemistry and Crosby’s linemates have been elevated by the form the rejuvenated Penguins captain has been showing. Kunitz was tied for second overall with 41 points, while Dupuis was in the top 10 in goals.
Part of their successes lie in Crosby finally being totally over his injury troubles, free from the fear of getting hurt again. “The only thoughts I have out there are hockey thoughts: Where is the puck? What do I have to do to get it back? Who is open for a pass?” Crosby said earlier this month.
That focus helps him find just about each and every Pen who’s open for a pass, as his 39 assists would indicate. It’s the kind of improved mental game you’d expect from a maturing player. As one pro scout says, “His puck patience is better than ever. He’s not scoring a ton, but that’s because he’s passing so well and his linemates are cashing in. He’s a machine.”
As a result, he’s playing like the consummate power forward. He is more engaged, winning battles in the corners and around the net. Better still, he’s not getting involved in the dumb battles, the face washing and scrumming.
And he’s more equipped to play the power forward role than ever. Physically, he has never been stronger—and not just because he hasn’t played a lot of hockey the past couple of years. At 25, Crosby’s body has matured: The Kid is now a man, The Man. Given that he is only just beginning the peak years of his career physically, how scary is it to be a hockey fan whose home address isn’t in Pittsburgh?
Suffice to say, Crosby has been far and away the best player in the NHL. Again. And although there have been terrific performances by the likes of Steven Stamkos, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and John Tavares, barring the unforeseen, Crosby will claim the Art Ross and Hart Trophies this season, just as he did back in 2007. “In my mind, I don’t think there’s any question Sidney Crosby is the best all-around player in the game,” Gretzky told ESPN.com recently.
Even better than ever.
