Penguins Star Continues To Test Father Time
As the old saying says, Father Time is undefeated. Nobody has ever been able to beat him. Some give him tough battles, but you always run out of time in the end. Sidney Crosby has found a way to oust him for yet another year, putting up one of the best seasons of his marvelous career at age 36.
There haven't been a lot of guys like Crosby in recent memory in terms of expectations coming in, and maybe Lebron James is the only guy you can compare it to. Guys that went into a professional career as the Chosen One. Expectations through the roof, yet somehow, they continue to shatter them.
Still Going Strong
Although the Penguins missed the playoffs for the second straight season, Crosby reminded everyone that he's still elite, even at his age. He tied the record for most points in a season at 36 years old with 94 points. He joined Teemu Selanne in 2007 and Jean Ratelle in 1977. Crosby played all 82 games and registered the third 40-goal season of his career, also becoming the seventh player in NHL history to score 40+ goals at 36 or older, joining legends like Brendan Shanahan, Teemu Selanne, Gordie Howe, Phil Esposito, Johnny Bucyk, and his respected career rival, Alex Ovechkin.
Crosby also continued a long tradition of averaging over a point per game, making it 19 straight seasons of the feat, tying the legend Wayne Gretzky for the most in league history. He tied Penguins legend Ron Francis for ninth all-time in Multi-point games with 470. It was a big year for the long-time Penguins captain, and he would probably trade it all to get a chance to play for a Stanley Cup.
Carrying The Penguins
The Penguins found themselves shooting themselves in the feet all season long, but when it came down to the final stretch of the season and a playoff spot was on the line, Crosby shined brighter than anyone. Over the last 15 games of the season, Crosby put up 26 points, doing anything he could to try to will the team into playoff position. It was incredible to watch.
Despite falling short, Crosby posted 42 goals and 52 assists on the season. He had three game-winning goals, 32 even-strength goals, and somehow found a way to net ten goals and 13 assists on that awful powerplay. His career totals look wild at this point. He's played in 1,272 games and scored 592 goals and 1,004 assists. He +217 on his career to go with 90 game-winning goals and four short-handers.
Crosby leads active players in Assists and Points. He's second among active players in Goals and Game Winning Goals, only behind Ovechkin. His playoff stats are just as wild. Crosby has 71 goals and 130 assists for 201 points and nine game-winners in 180 playoff games. Oh yeah, and don't forget about the three Stanley Cup rings. Will Crosby keep this going next season at 37 years old? Probably, and in the Penguin's case, hopefully.
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