Penguins captain credits 'so many guys that have contributed' to help approach mark held by Gretzky
© Joe Sargent/NHLI
By Wes Crosby
NHL.com Independent Correspondent
CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Sidney Crosby didn’t expect this.
The 37-year-old center has repeatedly said his one dream was to make it to the NHL. That came on Oct. 5, 2005, debuting at the age of 18 for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 5-1 loss at the New Jersey Devils.
As a kid, Crosby didn’t think of reaching milestones or setting records. There was no desire to sit among the greats.
And by no means did he wish to pass Wayne Gretzky in anything.
Now, Crosby is on the verge of doing just that. He has 74 points (24 goals, 50 assists) and, because he can play a maximum of 80 games, is six points from clinching a 20th season averaging at least a point per game, which would pass Gretzky (19 seasons) for the most in NHL history.
Crosby can creep closer when the Penguins host the Columbus Blue Jackets at PPG Paints Arena on Friday (7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, SN-PIT, NHLN, SN, TVAS).
“Consistency and work ethic and passion ... it's a responsibility that you have to each other,” Crosby told NHL.com. “I think that consistency, it's always a work in progress. Every day is not perfect. There are times that are more difficult than others during the year. I always try to keep that in mind. But that doesn't mean you're not going to have bad days or days where you're not at your best, but you try not to let them bunch together.”
The good days continue to outweigh the bad. Crosby has eight points (five goals, three assists) in a five-game point streak; he scored to extend it in a 4-2 loss to the New York Islanders on Tuesday. It ended a four-game winning streak for Pittsburgh (28-32-10), seven points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.
In that defeat, the Penguins captain reached 1,670 NHL points, passing Gretzky (1,669 with the Edmonton Oilers) for the fourth-most with a single franchise. He trails Gordie Howe (1,809 points with the Detroit Red Wings), Steve Yzerman (1,755 with the Red Wings) and Mario Lemieux (1,723 with Pittsburgh).
It’s a collaborative effort, and Crosby would be the first to say as much. He has 616 goals, second among active players behind Alex Ovechkin (888) and second in Penguins history behind Lemieux (690), but isn’t defined by scoring.
A good shot is often turned down for a great pass; that's how it has always been.
It’s why Crosby has 1,054 assists, passing Lemieux (1,033) on Dec. 29 for the most in Pittsburgh history.
So when nearing a milestone, Crosby thinks of his linemates. Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust are the current pair. Jake Guentzel, Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis are some of the first to come to mind from the past.
“When you see the number of assists, you realize there's so many guys that have contributed to that,” Crosby said. “A number is a number. But when you talk about that experience or those years playing with different players and just what they brought, and just how much I appreciate those experiences, those friendships, working together every night to try to go out there and win hockey games, but also just the friendships and camaraderie, those kinds of things.
“I think it's just a real appreciation, when I think back to those times, a real appreciation for those guys, for their games, for teammates and what everybody brought."
Kris Letang is forever tied to Crosby. The defenseman is part of a core trio, formed when he and center Evgeni Malkin came in as rookies to join Crosby with the Penguins in 2006-07.
“The work and the dedication that he puts into his game, every single day that he comes to the rink, he wants to get better,” Letang said. “Whether it’s on the ice or off the ice, on video, he’s always going to try to find a way to try to improve his line, his team. The power play, whatever it is.”
There isn’t much Crosby hasn’t done. Since being selected No. 1 overall by Pittsburgh in the 2005 NHL Draft, he has won the Stanley Cup three times (2009, 2016, 2017) and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2016 and 2017.
Crosby had 120 points (36 goals, 84 assists) in 2007, winning the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP and the Art Ross Trophy as scoring leader. He won each again with 104 points (36 goals, 68 assists) in 2014. In 2010, he won the Rocket Richard Trophy as goals leader, tying Steven Stamkos with 51, and won it again in 2017 with 44.
Before any of that, Crosby idolized Yzerman, the Hockey Hall of Fame center who played his entire 22-season career with the Red Wings and currently serves as their executive vice president and general manager.
To generations of players, that’s Crosby. From Connor McDavid to Connor Bedard, Nathan MacKinnon to Macklin Celebrini. He is their Yzerman.
Crosby tries not to talk about himself. Still, he knows where he stands. It’s hard not to.
“You dream of playing,” Crosby said. “But, I think, as you play and you're a part of it or you look back to your own development, it's really important to have role models and people that impact and influence you. So, to be in that conversation for other players, honestly, that means a ton."
Becoming that guy wasn’t guaranteed.
Crosby was projected to be great at a young age. But projections aren’t reality. Time, effort and good fortune mold them.
Look back to Jan. 5, 2011. Crosby was 23 years old. He had already won the Stanley Cup once and had 572 points (215 goals, 357 assists) in 412 games.
Then, he didn't play again until Nov. 21, 2011, returning from a well-documented concussion. In 2011-12, he played just 22 games as the concussion-related issues persisted.
That’s now a distant memory. At the time, however, there was reasonable concern for his longevity.
One of the greatest talents the NHL had seen, Crosby already had a lasting impact, but his story could have been tagged with a question: What if?
That’s still there. After all, his peak might have been in 2010-11, when he had 66 points (32 goals, 34 assists) in 41 games. It’s fair to wonder what he could have produced the rest of that season.
But Crosby did come back. In his 20th season, he has 54 points (16 goals, 38 assists) at even-strength, ninth-most in the NHL.
“I’m running out of words to try to describe Sid’s legacy that he’s built here,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “What I will say with respect to just his consistency of play, I think it directly correlates with his passion to the game, his drive to be the best and then his willingness to put the work in to do so. I think that combination of those three things is unique.
“I haven’t been around too many guys that have those three characteristics associated with their respective games. When you add his elite talent and just his capability with his work ethic and his willingness to put the time in to hone his craft, so to speak, I think that’s what’s allowed him to sustain the level of play that he’s been able to do for virtually two decades now.”
Crosby isn’t Yzerman or Lemieux. Howe, either. And, after likely breaking the point-per-game season record, he wouldn’t have fulfilled a destiny as the next Gretzky.
Because he is the first Sidney Crosby.
"I don't take it for granted, at all,” Crosby said. “Whether it's understanding how much work you put into it, how much you love it. The appreciation of being able to play for a great organization with great players that I've had the opportunity to play with all these years, all that stuff.
“I think you're grateful. You appreciate that stuff. You understand it's not a given."
