Pittsburgh Penguins: Why Sidney Crosby is our player of the decade
It should come as a surprise to nobody that Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is considered by many, ourselves included, as the player of the 2010s.
The 2010s have been a golden decade for the NHL. With the decade nearly over, it’s time for us to name our player of the decade. Which player owned the 2010s? Who was the most dominant? The obvious answer to both questions, and our player of the decade, is none other than Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.
Before going into why Sid The Kid is our player of the decade, let’s pour one out for the other players we considered. The first runner up is Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin, whose 436 goals led all players in the 2010s. His 777 points were the third-most, trailing only Crosby and Kane. Ovechkin led the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup in 2018, winning the Conn Smythe in the process.
More from Puck Prose
- Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
- This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
- 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
- 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
- This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings
Furthermore, he led the league in goals six times. Ovechkin will go down as one of the greatest players to ever play in the NHL. This decade, he cemented his legacy as the greatest goal scorer in NHL history. Ovechkin’s rivalry with Crosby dominated the decade, as the two players had countless unforgettable moments while facing each other.
Our second runner up is Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane. He led all players in points during the decade with 797 points. Kane helped lead the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups. In 2013, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy. Kane also won the Hart Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award during the 2015-16 season. This decade, he cemented his legacy as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, USA-born NHL players of all-time.
Player Of The Decade: Sidney Crosby
The 2010s belonged to Crosby. He entered the decade as one of the NHL’s greatest players and he’ll leave it as one of the greatest players in league history. Crosby’s 1.25 points per game during the decade led all players who played in at least 350 games. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain managed to make Evgeni Malkin a bit of an afterthought. On no other team would Malkin have been the second-best center.
Crosby was the NHL’s golden child both on and off the ice. He lived up to his massive standards every season. Crosby was named a Hart Trophy finalist on six occasions and won the award during the 2013-14 season. That season, Crosby also won the Art Ross Trophy. He also won the Lester B. Pearson Trophy (now known as the Ted Lindsay Award) and the Rocket Richard Trophy twice.
Must Read. Each NHL Team's Mount Rushmore. light
The Descent
This decade wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for Crosby, however. Concussion issues cost him 41 games during the 2010-11 season (not including the postseason) and all but 22 games of the 2011-12 season.
Sadly, Crosby missed what might have been his greatest masterpiece. In 63 games between those two seasons, he had 103 points, good for a 1.63 points per game pace. Had Crosby kept this up for an entire 82 game season, it would have given him 134 points, which would have been the most by any player in the salary cap era.
Despite this, the Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t see too much team success from 2010 to 2015. In December of 2015, the Pens fired head coach Mike Johnston while Crosby was having perhaps the worst season of his career.
Don’t Call It A Comeback
It was at this moment Crosby started being Sid The Kid again. He came back as motivated as ever, helping the Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cups, the first team to do so since the New York Islanders dynasty of the early 1980s. Crosby won the Conn Smythe on both occasions.
As always, Crosby saved some of his best performances for the biggest stages. His 123 points during the Stanley Cup Playoffs led all players during the 2010s (minimum 30 games). Crosby also had the highest points per game rate in the postseason at 1.07.
dark. Next. NHL Power Rankings
The 2010s weren’t the easiest decade for Crosby. What he went through would have broken many players. But like a dry clay vase going through the fire, he came out stronger, and better because of his struggles. That’s why Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins is our player of the decade.