Pensburgh Wrapup: Sidney Crosby

When can we order the framed versions? hehe. Awesome work!

Great job with the pictures PAYD.

OH, these are the best! He is the best! I am jealous you have all of these photos!!!

Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i love the one of sid looking at you. mainly because i am jealous.

Thanks everybody. I love doing these, so I’m glad somebody else is enjoying them as well.

To me, it still looked like Crosby was working his ass off. However, with Geno hiding in the dark he was left to take on the top two defensive pairings. This was just my impression. It would be interesting to know if Crosby was really nursing an injury.

Cowboy, I think the April grade is supposed to be the equivalent of the playoffs grade.

As to Sid’s possible injury, I think there might have been something nagging at him, but nothing more than what all the other guys are experiencing after an 82 game grind. I thought he was gassed in the triple OT Ottawa game and was merely average in game 6. And MTL simply invested all their energy in stopping Sid and forced Malkin to beat them. There’s not a whole lot any hockey player can do when you’re being triple and quadruple teamed below the goal line.

Seriously though, I have to agree. How lucky are we as Pens fans. How many teams can say they’ve had players like Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Ron Francis suit up wearing their uniform? Not many…are we spoiled? I would say, yeah…why not!

I’d like to see Sid work his magic and start playing for a few more breakaways without sacrificing his defense.

Also, he should work on taking draws while on the power play. He’s great at faceoffs, but I think he needs to be better when on the man advanatge.

I’m sure Sid has his fun, but I’m glad he’s not causing any trouble (that we know of) and that he’s staying out of the headlines when he’s off the ice. I did see he finally bought his own house though, that’s good…

I would take one of Sid over 10 Ovies or 5 Kanes

Let’s not do an injustice to players like Crosby or Ovechkin by including Kane in the same sentence. He has a long way to go before he’s in the “best player in the world” conversation.

I can’t imagine where he’d be if he had just one competent line mate to skate with.

I think seeing that from players every now and then, especially from a 22 year old, is normal and good. I don’t want him to be a robot on the ice like he is in interviews. That frustration lets us know he still cares a ton about winning.

There’s always room to improve. A couple more years will change that.

I think his emoitions are his biggest strength, but also his biggest weakness. His emotions give him that drive to win, the drive to be better than anyone else. But, at the same time, when things aren’t going right, it’s his biggest weakness; his emotions take him right out of the game. I believe that, with time, he’ll learn to control them when the going gets tough.
Still, if that’s his biggest weakness, that’s pretty damn good if you ask me.

usually it just motivates him to kick more ass and take more names. ask flyers fans. they know.

Poeple always chant “Kobe Sucks” but in reality, they’d embrace him if he was on their team.
Everybody in the NHL would love to get Crosby on their team, but in reality, they’re just bummed out because he’s a Penguin. Other then Capitals fans, I don’t think anybody truly hates him.
People need to admit it: you have a Croby jeresy hanging on your wall. Lol!

Should Geno and other players have stepped up? You bet. But sorry, Sid’s performance and lack of production against Montreal is a huge reason the Penguins didn’t play Philly in the conference finals.

Geno takes much more of the fall than Sid here. Opposing coaches were obsessed with getting out their first D pairing when Sid was on the ice, and from a defensemen point of view, Malkin had an easier time than Crosby. Crosby was also doing as much as he could given the situation. His 25.0 relative Corsi and +2.76 adjusted +/- led the team in the playoffs, which means that whenever he was on the ice, he was playing in the opponent’s end more often than not. Malkin’s point totals should be much better given the difference in D pairing.

The bottom line is that no team ever attempted to contain Sid to the extent that Montreal did. He was constantly harassed, tripped, obstructed, etc. but because it was the playoffs, the refs thought it best to “let the boys play.” No player, not Gretzky, Lemeuix, Jagr, or whomever, would ever be able to put up significant numbers playing with below average top six forwards and that much defensive attention. That we made it as far as we did in the playoffs is in large part due to Sid’s work.

My husband says Sid use his his Sharpie more often! LOL

Forgot to ask Jimmy Howard’s permission before he started pounding on Zetterberg. who knew Z couldn’t stick up for himself?

I know I shouldn’t be surprised to hear this from a goalie who plays on the same team as Osgood, but Howard’s comments after that game were pathetic. Some rookie who has accomplished nothing calls Sid a baby for fighting Zetterberg on the ice. This comment seems to embody all the lack of class and utter stupidity that a lot of the online Red Wings fan base is all about.

This. And maybe another Cup and the Conn Smythe are now Sid’s new motivations. Either way, I hope Sid and the team as a whole figure out a way to beat the trap next season.

this game was awesome. It’s the Geno of ‘08 (man, I miss that Geno..I think it’ll be back next year though) and one of the best games I’ve ever seen Sid play. Oh and the Caps got shut out the very same night..just fyi.

It’s hard to pick just one favorite goal of Sid’s. It really is. Something for all of us to think about.

From just this season or all-time?

I’ll take 50-goal, 80-assist Sid. I see no reason why he can’t be both, provided he has guys on his line who can finish plays.

You’re entitled to your own opinions, but how does a 50 goal scorer on the team not help our title hopes? Just because we didn’t win it this year doesn’t mean anything.
Basically, Sid realized that that goal scoring winger the Pens have been searching for him since Day 1 isn’t going to come because of the cap space. So Captain Crosby took into his own hands and became that goal scorer. The first line seems a lot more useful with Billy G and Kuni opening up space for the now dangerous goal scorer, Sid; rather than Billy G and Kuni opening up space for play making Sid to pass to one of his wings and hope they can finish. So, I like and think 50 goal-scorer Sid at this time because it’s what’s best for the team.
If we do happen to find someone that can score goals with Sid, then he can go back to play making…anddd that is exactly why he is the best player in the world.