Sidney Crosby named NHL’s first star of the week again

For the second time already this season, Sidney Crosby was named the NHL’s first star of the week.

Crosby also got the honor in the very first week of the season. From the league release on this time around:

Crosby led the NHL in goals (t-4), assists (7) and points (11) across four games to propel the Penguins (9-7-3, 21 points) to a 3-1-0 week. He scored once in a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs Nov. 15 to surpass Bryan Trottier for sole possession of 17th place on the NHL’s all-time points list. Crosby then registered 2 2-4, his 36th career four-point performance and first of the season, in a 6-4 win versus the Minnesota Wild Nov. 17. He collected two assists in a 3-0 victory over the Winnipeg Jets Nov. 19 before closing the week with 1-3-4, including his 80th career game-winning goal (tied for 36th place in League history), in a 5-3 triumph against the Chicago Blackhawks Nov. 20. The 35-year-old Pittsburgh captain and two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winner ranks seventh in the NHL with 10-17-27 through 19 total appearances thus far in 2022-23.

As mentioned, Crosby is up in the individual ledger, and his 22 even strength points are tied for the most in the league with defender Erik Karlsson. Crosby remains seven points behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid in the scoring race, as usual the Oiler is having a special season with 16 goals and 18 assists in just 18 games so far this year.

For an old guy, Crosby hasn’t slowed down much during now his age-35 season. He’s proving he’s still one of the very best offensive players in the league and at times has been simply putting the Penguins on his back and willing them to victories, like last night against Chicago.

This week also included a perfect Crosby goal. He always has a lot of highlights to choose from over the week, month, year, decade but Crosby’s second goal of the night against Minnesota really deserves more talk on it.

First, there’s carrying the puck up the ice and making the o-zone entry. Standard stuff, but it’s Crosby doing his own heavy lifting. Then the fun really gets started when Crosby dishes off for Jake Guentzel. Watch as he almost floats to the net, flips his hips and then drops to a knee. The puck from Guentzel is a great pass, and almost requires slow motion to even catch up and see with the naked eye how Crosby swipes at the moving puck and eludes the defender and beats goalie to score in the matter of such a quick flash. Crosby has scored more difficult and highlight-reel style goals, but there was something really special about the elegance and simplicity of how he (and Guentzel) pulled this one off.

It’s a thing of beauty, and while there are so many unique and creative plays to choose from, it might be one of the favorite goals for me that Crosby has scored. There’s not too many players out there who can turn a routine blue-line zone entry on the power play into the artistry of that goal. It’s a normal looking play until suddenly the puck is in the net. It really shows just how dangerous at all times that Crosby can be on the ice.

And it’s fitting that after a week of creating offense and helping get the Pens’ season back on track that the NHL recognizes Crosby as the top player of the week.