While some of the new generation of players like Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon are now ready to claim the title of best player in the world, they still have a LOT to do before they reach the level of excellence that Sidney Crosby did at various moments in his career.
In addition to being one of the best players of his generation, if not history, the Pittsburgh Penguins captain has always been an exceptional leader, and a player who knows how to take his game up a notch when the stakes call for it. In fact, a statistic presented on Instagram about #87 is pretty surreal...
Since the beginning of the 2007-08 season, his third in the big league, Crosby has scored more playoff goals than three NHL organizations!
These numbers show both the greatness and consistency of Crosby, but also the level of failure of these three franchises over the years. Between the three of them, they have only managed to win one playoff round during that time, with the Oilers knocking off the San Jose Sharks in six games in 2017.
Crosby, meanwhile, has won the Stanley Cup three times and the Conn-Smythe Trophy twice with the Pens since 2007, not to mention all of his individual and team honors earned in the regular season. So despite the growing parity in the NHL, it's clear that some teams are better managed than others, and some players in a class of their own.
