Move over Oscar de la Hoya, Sidney Crosby is the new Golden Boy
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 28, 2010 8:40 PM EST
44 comments
Sidney Crosby knew his usual fans wouldn't be on his side, "[Pittsburgh is] an American city, so I'm sure they're not going to be cheering for me". That didn't stop him from scoring the game winning goal and singing along to "O Canada" afterwards.
Last spring Captain Crosby led the Pittsburgh Penguins as top goal scorer all the way to the Stanley Cup. Now, nine months later, Sid took on the role of #1 center for an Olympics that took place IN Canada (with all the inherent pressure) and scored the gold medal winning OT goal to justify the hopes and dreams of the millions of his countrymen.
Straight up: Sidney Crosby is the best player in hockey, the biggest money player the game has seen in recent memory, and has won everything there is to win at every significant level. At just 22 years old, Crosby has broken Mario Lemieux's team rookie scoring record (both as 18 year olds), Sid's is a league MVP, a Stanley Cup Champion and has the OT GWG to win the Olympic gold medal.
The Alex Ovechkin backers will say AO got the short end of the stick: being as hockey's a team sport and Ovie's been on over-matched teams playing for Washington and Russia over the years. They'll say Ovechkin's is the best with a unique skill-set of physicality and offensive ability. Ovechkin's the two time NHL MVP -- and working on his third this season -- and he has so much passion that you can't deny his greatness.
Fine. All of this is true.
But you also can't deny the undisputed golden boy and the #1 winner of the hockey world. His name is Sidney Crosby, he plays from Canada and for the Pittsburgh Penguins. When it counts, he not only is there, but he comes up big, and is on the winning side of things on the sport's biggest stage.
Will it end soon? Not according to Sid, who was asked what he'd do after he wins everything he said: "try to win everything two or three times."
Luckily for the American fans of the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Winter Olympics won't come back for four more years.
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Great performance
He wasn’t there through the whole tournament, but he was there when he really needed to be there, and scored the most important goal in the whole thing. Unreal.
by Peter Raaymakers on Feb 28, 2010 9:05 PM EST reply actions
Wasn’t there the whole tournament…..except that he was. Tied for 2nd in goals, 6th in points, top ten in face offs. Geez, the guy goes a couple of games without a point and suddenly he wasn’t there?
by PensAreYourDaddy on Feb 28, 2010 9:14 PM EST up reply actions
His team played more games than any other in the tourney save Finland and Slovakia. Of course he was going to lead the tourney in points. He really didn’t play that well in the big games.
by You don't have to be sweet, to be good on Feb 28, 2010 9:53 PM EST up reply actions
Like it or not, in a 7-game tournament they are all big games.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Feb 28, 2010 10:08 PM EST up reply actions
They were blowing teams out so Corsvy was only playing 15, 16inutea a night (like the Russia game).
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
by Hooks Orpik on Feb 28, 2010 10:14 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I too have difficulty with auto-correct on my mobile haha
Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.
Common misconception: Just because he didn’t score points in every game doesn’t mean he didn’t play well. His line spent virtually all of their time on the ice in the oppositions zone, and they usually got a good scoring chance nearly every shift. He drew a couple penalties throughout the tourney, had really good scoring chances in games (first USA game and Russia game) or he created a few scoring chances in games (Slovakia.) Even little things like driving the net to open things up for his teammates is something he was doing. As well as being excellent on the back-check. Crosby is the best overall player in the NHL and I don’t think it’s close.
by packallday555 on Feb 28, 2010 10:53 PM EST up reply actions
totally agree…He could’ve easily been the top scorer in the tournament, but that doesn’t matter to Sid; he’s just happy he got his country what they wanted and that all that pressure is finally off him.
871
He really doesn’t and that’s part of what makes him such a special player. It’s going to be crazy to see all of his accomplishments by the time he retires.
by packallday555 on Mar 1, 2010 1:04 AM EST up reply actions
And don’t forget that shootout goal. Without that, if things still played out the way they did against the US the first time Canada wouldn’t have even had a shot at the gold.
Follow the Penguins on SBN @ Pensburgh.com and twitter.
Absolutely!
He wasn’t there all tournament, but he was certainly clutch when he was needed. The thing about Canada is that they had the scoring depth to have players take some nights off—all four lines could score, and the defencemen helped out, too. When Canada needed someone to step up, though, Crosby was there.
by Peter Raaymakers on Feb 28, 2010 10:19 PM EST up reply actions
He was the best player on the Ice for Canada almost every game. In the Russia GAme Canada’s line that “did the best” was facing Morozov and company while Sid was consistently facing the super mega line or Datsyuk’s line.
Great point. He was almost always matched up with Datsyuk, who is very good defensively. It’s just the misconception of “well, he didn’t have any points.”
by packallday555 on Mar 1, 2010 12:41 PM EST up reply actions
Well said.....
I would like to think the debate of “best hockey player in the world” is over now, but I somehow doubt that can happen (being that Ovechkin fans won’t ever give it up). Crosby showed that he can perform at any level of competition at the highest energy / effort level of anyone within the NHL or International play.
I just want to see him tear through the end of the season at a furious pace and lead the Pens to Lord Stanley’s Cup (again). Congrats to the USA for it’s great showing as well, especially Ryan Miller.
Focus is too often on the offensive players when saying who is the best in the world. Even as a lifelong Pens fan, I think right now Ryan Miller is the best hockey player in the world.
Absolutely right about the focus being too much on the offensive players. I dunno if I’d say Miller is the best in the world right now but he’s definitely making an argument. But up until halfway through last year, the best player in the world wasn’t even a forward, let alone neither named Crosby or Ovechkin. It was Nicklas Lidstrom.
by lostprophetRJX on Mar 1, 2010 1:18 AM EST up reply actions
Last two sentences: truth
After the way Miller played last night, well, he wasn’t bad, but not as good as he needed to be. All it would take is him significantly outplaying Luongo, and with the latter’s performance, I thought it doable, but Miller didn’t come up great like previously.
Ovechkin = Green Backs
by red army line on Mar 1, 2010 9:39 AM EST up reply actions
You know that EVERY person that covers hockey for the big networks is from Canada when...
They are calling this the greatest game in the history of hockey. What a complete embarassment. We’re talking about professionals beating professionals. I don’t care if it was the greatest collection of talent ever, it was far from the ‘greatest’ game in hockey history.
Nothing will ever, ever, ever come close to the Miracle on Ice. College nobodies beating professional military hockey players. Nothing will ever come close.
Not to stick up for the Canadians (as an American), but I think they mean that it’s the greatest game in Canada’s history…and well, it is their game so yeah, it was the greatest game.
871
No I meant that the greatest game played IN Canada. Even if they do mean in hockey history period, let them over exaggerate while they’re on this emotional high (they did beat us after all)…What do you think they were saying after they beat us in Salt Lake?
871
Depends on your definition of great, I suppose.
If by great you mean “most incredible show of technical skill, speed, toughness and tenacity in a game of hockey ever”, then this game is either the greatest in history or on the short list of discussion.
If you mean “most significant and historically meaningful game”, then absolutely it falls down the pecking order. My Canadian bias will probably show, but to me the greatest game by this definition is Game 8 of the 1972 Canada-USSR Summit Series, followed very, very closely by the Miracle On Ice.
leaf fan stuck in ottawa, a localized black hole that will suck everything in that area to oblivion.
Greatest goal in Canadian History was Paul Henderson in ’72…
- is Gretzky to Lemieux in the ’87 Canada Cup…
The Greatest Game(s) ever played was the 1972 Summit Series.
The Miracle On Ice was just that, and a once in a lifetime event, but I would think that winning at home, in one of the most important hockey games ever played, in overtime, on a goal scored by the face of Canadian hockey would qualify as pretty special too.
by LastSonOfKrypton on Mar 1, 2010 1:20 AM EST reply actions
Supposed to say that #2 goal is Gretzky to Lemieux…
Sid’s can be argued against either of those, but they are the standard for hockey lore here in the Canada.
by LastSonOfKrypton on Mar 1, 2010 1:22 AM EST reply actions
And let all of us Pens fans never forget one of our favorite players!
Ryan Whitney, I will always hate you. You find ways to screw Penguins fans even when you’re not on the team. The only good thing that ever came out of a situation involving you was the trade we made with you.
While this definitely was the greatest Olympic hockey game since the Miracle on Ice, the greatest hockey game ever (as well as the greatest upset of all time) was the Miracle on Ice by far. No game will ever come close to it. College kids upsetting professional All-star caliber players. Cold War tension, the “malaise” the nation was going through, the inspirational Herb Brooks, the closeness of the game, everything about that game was unreal, and while the 2010 Gold Medal OT game was the greatest hockey game of this century, it is a distant 2nd overall when compared to the Miracle on Ice.
Watching the game;
when Parise tied it you knew this game would go down as a special game, no matter which team won in OT. The quality of the play, the frantic energy and hustle of both teams, the goalie play, everything. It was a phenomenal game, and a phenomenal effort by Sid to seal the win.
Sid haters will point to the goals his line didn’t score, but seriously, he was the best player on the ice.
lost in the mix
was the play sid made to get the puck back to iginla along the boards. 95% of the players today would have tried to do something stupid and wheel and deal. side pokes it back along the boards, it somehow makes it to iginla.
thats why hes the best. AO would have done some kind of spin around shot that miller would have stopped
" Lord Stanley, scratch thier names on your fabled cup" Mike Lange june 12, 2009
The Sound of Silence
If you listen REAL close, you’ll notice an absence of sound from that City between Maryland and Virginia, at least on this blog.
Where have all the O.V.s gone, long time passing?
I guess it’s like trying to swallow that first fork full of Brussels Sprouts when you were 6!
Can't really say much
before the season restarts. Crosby played better than Ovechkin, so we, you know, need some more ammunition. ;)
Sidney Crosby is making it immensely hard for me to continue to have a healthy rivalry-hate for him, even though I’m American. He’s too damn good.
Ovechkin = Green Backs
by red army line on Mar 1, 2010 9:42 AM EST up reply actions
That’s the great thing about it: by weeks end Ovechkin will probably have like 7 points in 3 games and a couple more highlight reel hits and goals, giving more ammuntion for another round of debates.
Wayne Gretzky had it wrong: 100% of the shots Gary Roberts doesn't take DO go in.
Yes, I respect Ovechkin’s competitive desire, and it’s a little scary to think how driven he will be now following the disappointment of the last 2 weeks.
by PensAreYourDaddy on Mar 1, 2010 2:39 PM EST up reply actions
I saw the Crosby picture above and the Mortal Kombat theme music began playing in my head.
Everyone wants to kill the king. But the prince, he just sails along telling all the ladies, "One day I'm gonna be king."
team canada
did a spectacular job bailing luongo out time and time again. i said to a freidn that if the canadians wanted to win, they would put in MAF. luongo was shakey at best the entire game, he let in a couple of 900 thread count soft goals. and had it not been for a well positioned canadian team for a majority of the game it would have been about 6-2 usa.
" Lord Stanley, scratch thier names on your fabled cup" Mike Lange june 12, 2009
by oldtimehockey09 on Mar 1, 2010 1:41 PM EST up reply actions
Check out the pic on the pg blog
Check out the pic on the pg blog showing Team Canada. Mike Babcock looks like he’s going to donkey punch Martin Brodeaur. He must really hate him for the loss to USA.
I was very interested to read how Penguin fans (specifically American ones) would react to Crosby scoring the gold medal winning goal. This article and the comments offer up a pretty good summary of that. Well done.
I can only imagine how happy a friend of mine was that night… he is a Canadian and a big Penguins fan. He must have been on cloud 9. Wish I could have watched the game with him.
leaf fan stuck in ottawa, a localized black hole that will suck everything in that area to oblivion.
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