Pittsburgh Penguins: Sidney Crosby’s Top 5 Career Moments
On the 30th birthday of Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby, let’s take a look at the top five moments of his career.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby turns 30 on Monday, August 7. How fitting number 87 celebrates his birth on the seventh day of the eighth month. Perhaps this is why Crosby loves the number 87.
Over 1,000 points and three Stanley Cups by age 30? Not bad. Not bad at all. Happy birthday Sid! pic.twitter.com/BcwhCoJWl4
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) August 7, 2017
It’s mind boggling to think that he’s already 30 years old and how much he accomplished in his 20’s. Arguably no player other than Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr had a better run in their 20’s. And Crosby lost some prime years thanks to concussion issues. Number 87 has 1,027 regular season points already, which is quite outstanding considering the era during which he has played.
Crosby has accomplished so much, it’s hard to pick out just five career-defining moments for him. However, because the Penguins captain is turning the big 30, we’ll try to do so. Here are the five defining moments of Crosby’s illustrious career (so far).
Crosby’s Rookie Season
It’s appropriate to start at the beginning. Crosby was seen as a once in a generation player going into the 2005 NHL Draft. His junior numbers set records and he dominated on the ice from the first time he stepped on it. Crosby got comparisons to legends like Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. All things considered, he has lived up to the hype.
Crosby fell into the perfect situation for both himself and the Penguins. Pittsburgh needed a savior (again) and Super Mario was no longer up to the task on the ice. Crosby went to a team where he was able to become an immediate star.
His rookie season was nothing short of phenomenal. Crosby put up 102 points, which was sixth in the league. It opened the NHL chapter of his seemingly life long rivalry with Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin. Though he lost the Calder Trophy to him, Crosby has gotten the best of his rival. Hockey fans will probably never see two rookies take the league by storm the way The Great Eight and Sid The Kid did in 2005. It gave a glimpse into the bright futures for both stars.
Rise To Stardom
Crosby’s rise to stardom for the Pittsburgh Penguins was a very fast one. He won his first Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy in just his second season, leading the NHL with 120 points. Even though Crosby missed 29 games during the 2007-08 season, he still finished with 72 points in 53 games.
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Sid The Kid took the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals that season. However, he experienced a crushing defeat, as he had to watch the Detroit Red Wings celebrate. Crosby might have led the postseason with 27 points, but it didn’t matter because he didn’t win. They say defeat is a great motivator, and it sure was for the Penguins. Pittsburgh went on to win the Stanley Cup one year later, besting the Red Wings in seven games. For the first time in his career, Crosby was a Stanley Cup champion.
He won his first Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL’s top goal scorer during the 2009-10 season. Crosby sat on the throne as the world’s greatest hockey player. However, he didn’t remain on it for long. The 2011 Winter Classic saw Sid The Kid get a nasty hit to the head by Capitals forward Dave Steckel. A subsequent hit to the head by Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman caused him to be sidelined indefinitely. His career was in jeopardy.
The Return
Crosby remained on the sideline for what seemed like an eternity. He was skating in practice for a while, but constantly had the “no contact” jersey on. Pittsburgh Penguins fans feared they had seen the last of him. But nine months later, he made his return in November of 2011. A little over five minutes into the game against the New York Islanders, Crosby showed he was back by scoring. Overall, Sid The Kid had two goals and two assists in the game.
He had four multi-point games in his first five games back from the concussion. However, Crosby later felt concussion symptoms after just seven games. This once again put him on the sideline. Crosby took his time getting back, but he made his second return against the New York Rangers in March of 2012.
Sid The Kid overcame the first mountain of adversity he faced in his NHL career. And he passed the test with flying colors. In just 22 games in 2011-12, he had 37 points. Crosby added eight points in six playoff games, giving him 45 points in 28 games.
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Despite missing 12 games in the lockout shortened 2012-13 season, he put up 56 points in 36 games. His 1.56 points per game led the entire NHL. Crosby won the Lester Pearson Trophy as the player’s pick for most outstanding player, but finished second to Ovechkin in the Hart Trophy race.
The Fall And Rise of Crosby
Crosby remained one of the best players in the NHL through the 2013-14 season. However, the firing of head coach Dan Bylsma didn’t go too well for him. His former head coach knew how to take care of his superstar. Crosby won two Hart Trophies under Bylsma. Newcomer Mike Johnston was different.
Hints of a decline were shown during the 2014-15 season. For any other player, 84 points in 77 games would be excellent. But for Crosby, it was a slight letdown. The Pittsburgh Penguins went on to lose to the Rangers in the playoffs, though Sid still had four points in five games.
Crosby suffered the worse start of a season in his career in 2015-16. He had just 15 points through his first 23 games, including five in his first 11. The Penguins were out of a playoff spot and slumping. Johnston got the blame and a pink slip for it. In came Mike Sullivan as the new head coach.
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It turns out Sullivan was the best thing that could have happened to Crosby. Reenergized, Sid The Kid had 74 points in his final 57 games, good enough to warrant being named a Hart Trophy Finalist. For roughly a two month period, Crosby lost his title as best player in the world. But he quickly got it back.
Back To Back Stanley Cups
It’s hard to win a Stanley Cup. What’s even harder is winning back-to-back Stanley Cups. You need a lot of skill and a lot of luck. The Pittsburgh Penguins and Crosby needed both to become the first team of the salary cap era to win consecutive titles. Sid The Kid won the Conn Smythe as playoff MVP during both championship runs.
Winning his second and third Stanley Cup put him past Super Mario in terms of titles as a player. Of course, Lemieux still played a big part in those three titles as the Penguins owner. But even Mario was only able to bring home two Stanley Cups as a player.
The second of the consecutive championships perhaps defines Crosby’s career the best. After losing star defenseman Kris Letang, the odds were against the Pittsburgh Penguins defending their title. However, Crosby didn’t get that memo. With a league high 19 assists, along with 27 points, Sid The Kid and the Penguins offense managed to overcome a less than ideal blue line to defend their Stanley Cup championship.
Crosby has repeatedly defied the odds. He’s proven nothing is impossible with him. Crosby’s greatest strength lies not in his generational skill, but in his obsession with perfection. Anytime there’s a hole in his game, he works his tail off to make sure it disappears. After turning 30, perhaps fans have seen the best from Crosby. If this is the best, what a run it has been.