New highlight video showcases Crosby’s stellar defensive awareness

It’s always a treat to watch Sidney Crosby play hockey.

Here’s a new highlight reel from user xxlaflammexx about the defensive side of Crosby. Fans can easily search their memories and fire off an archive of crazy goals and pinpoint passes he’s amassed over his 13-year long (and counting!) career. But away from the puck, Crosby’s defensive highlights are full of spectacular precision and technique — enough to make Selke voters sweat.

Feast your eyes on 10-plus minutes of perfectly-timed stick lifts, committed 200-foot play, hip checks, gap control, diving poke checks, stellar positioning, broken up passes, hustle plays, and so on from Crosby’s performances as both a Pittsburgh Penguin and an Olympic athlete for the Canadian national team. For all the shifts he’s compiled in just a hair over a decade, there were tons of clips to choose from, and the ones that made the cut will leave you shaking your head in disbelief.

Crosby’s defensive awareness flies way too far under the radar due to his unbelievable offensive abilities, so consider this a stick tap to his consistent dedication to stifling the opposition.