Crosby is a great player, even people that dislike him agree on this.
However extrapolating stats from partial seasons or his last 82 games (not what the OP did), when those games stretch over 3 seasons doesn't mean much.
His stats are phenomenal, no doubt, and going into the playoffs he almost has an unfair advantage with how rested he will be compared to everyone else, save maybe Zajac.
I have no doubt he will put up monster numbers in these playoffs and next year if he plays a full 82 he will win everything. That being said I would really like to see him play, lets say, three full seasons in a row (of at least 75 games) before I say he is a top ten player all time.
It's harder to play great hockey 82 games over 6 months than over 26 months. How many players were on pace to miraculous numbers a few weeks into the season (i.e. after a break)?
I'm not sure which effect is greater: getting a lot of rest or recovering from a concussion and having to jump into the thick of things against guys who have been playing NHL-level hockey for the whole season. All I know is that Crosby hasn't been 100% yet, but what he's done has been extremely impressive. I hope he can stay healthy through the playoffs and we'll be able to see what he can do in a full season of hockey after that.
It's harder to play great hockey 82 games over 6 months than over 26 months. How many players were on pace to miraculous numbers a few weeks into the season (i.e. after a break)?
Simply put, no.
First of all, Crosby was playing at a level close to this good for half the season last year before injury sidelined him, not merely a few weeks to open the season.
Also, coming back and playing at top form from injury is not easy to do. Nevermind, doing so twice, with the second time being in the middle of the playoff push. Everyone around you in getting into playoff form, and you're left trying to catch up, mentally and physically.
In his last 61 regular season games Crosby has 100 points. In his last 82 regular season games, Crosby has 133 points and 49 goals (assuming I can count).
First of all, Crosby was playing at a level close to this good for half the season last year before injury sidelined him, not merely a few weeks to open the season.
Also, coming back and playing at top form from injury is not easy to do. Nevermind, doing so twice, with the second time being in the middle of the playoff push. Everyone around you in getting into playoff form, and you're left trying to catch up, mentally and physically.
There was a lot more players having miraculous streaks after coming back from injury/break than players having a miraculous full season. Crosby is just one of the best of them. If he plays a full season from start to finish and still has the same numbers than it's comparable and undisputable.
In his last 61 regular season games Crosby has 100 points. In his last 82 regular season games, Crosby has 133 points and 49 goals (assuming I can count).
In his last 61 regular season games Crosby has 100 points. In his last 82 regular season games, Crosby has 133 points and 49 goals (assuming I can count).
The extrapolation is nice and all that, but a few of you are not phrasing this quite the right way. Crosby does not have 100 points in his last 61 regular season games. He has 61 points in his last 61 regular season games played. Small difference, but worth noting.
Disclaimer: This is not a slam on Crosby, so all you Crosby fans can put your pitchforks away.
The extrapolation is nice and all that, but a few of you are not phrasing this quite the right way. Crosby does not have 100 points in his last 61 regular season games. He has 61 points in his last 61 regular season games played. Small difference, but worth noting.
Disclaimer: This is not a slam on Crosby, so all you Crosby fans can put your pitchforks away.
What? There is no extrapolation here. Crosby has 100 points in his last 61 regular season games played. It's not disputable.
The extrapolation is nice and all that, but a few of you are not phrasing this quite the right way. Crosby does not have 100 points in his last 61 regular season games. He has 61 points in his last 61 regular season games played. Small difference, but worth noting.
Disclaimer: This is not a slam on Crosby, so all you Crosby fans can put your pitchforks away.
"I feel" statements are really nice because you don't have to back them up with pesky things like facts.
Considering that there is no statistical category for "phantom assists" it can be nothing but an "I feel" statement. There were a few times this season where he had gotten an assist, and it had me scratching my head, but honestly I could care less. I just don't get why you would have a sarcastic remark for someone clearly stating an opinion.
It's harder to play great hockey 82 games over 6 months than over 26 months. How many players were on pace to miraculous numbers a few weeks into the season (i.e. after a break)?
Nonsense. It's harder to play 82 games straight than to miss a almost year in the middle with a concussion? The fact that Crosby was off for a year and has maintained his pace from last season only makes it even more impressive IMO. Look at other guys who are off for extended periods of time due to injury - it takes them months to get back to form.
Not sure what all the negativity is about. No one is saying he deserves the art ross. But he hasnt missed a beat and is still a point machine. That's the point.
Crosby is a great player, even people that dislike him agree on this.
However extrapolating stats from partial seasons or his last 82 games (not what the OP did), when those games stretch over 3 seasons doesn't mean much.
His stats are phenomenal, no doubt, and going into the playoffs he almost has an unfair advantage with how rested he will be compared to everyone else, save maybe Zajac.
I have no doubt he will put up monster numbers in these playoffs and next year if he plays a full 82 he will win everything. That being said I would really like to see him play, lets say, three full seasons in a row (of at least 75 games) before I say he is a top ten player all time.
I agree with this 100%. I don't know why people need to combine multiple Crosby seasons to state that he has 120 in his last 80, or 100 in his last 61. Doing it over two to three seasons is one thing, ACTUALLY scoring 100 points in 61 games in a single season is a completely other thing.
I believe Crosby would have to play in all 82 regular season games. Big difference between doing something and being on pace to do something.
He has gotten 133 points in the last 82 regular season games he has played in. If you were to look at his stats from this season, he's on pace for 139 points in an 82-game season. Not a huge difference there, so the question isn't so much whether Crosby can maintain a 120+ point pace throughout a whole season (although it's by no means a given), but whether he can stay healthy enough. On that we can only speculate and cross our fingers.
