Sidney Crosby - Part 2

 

             2013-14

Crosby nearly played a full season in 2013-14, playing 80 games. It was the most he had played in a single season since 2009-10 when he played 81. He put up 36 goals and 68 assists for 104 points, eclipsing the 100-point mark for the 5th time in 9 seasons. He led the league in assists, as well as points, which ultimately led to winning the Art Ross Trophy for the 2nd time, and the first since 2006-07. He got the honors of league MVP, taking home the Hart Trophy. It was his 2nd time being named the Most Valuable Player, and his 3rd time being nominated for the award. To top it all off, he was named the winner of the Ted Lindsay Award as well. 

This was just one of many elite seasons that Crosby has put up, and it brought Pittsburgh back to the postseason where they lost to the New York Rangers in the Second Round. Crosby put up just 1 goal and 8 assists in 13 games, which isn’t very “Crosby like.”

Crosby was also a part of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. He captained his Canadian team to another Gold Medal and had a goal and 2 assists for 3 points in 6 games. It is safe to say that the 2013-14 season was a very memorable one for Sidney Crosby.

 

             2014-15

Crosby took a step back this season, as well as missing 5 games. In any means did he have a bad season, as he still put up 28 goals and 56 assists for 84 points. He finished 3rd league wide in points behind John Tavares (New York Islanders), and Art Ross Winner Jamie Benn (Dallas Stars). He did have the best point per game average in the NHL however and carried the Penguins to yet another postseason appearance. Pittsburgh was eliminated in 5 games to the New York Rangers, as they eventually lost in the Stanley Cup Final to the Los Angeles Kings. Crosby notched 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points in those 5 games. 

On a positive note, Crosby took part in the World Championships representing Canada, winning the Gold Medal. He was inducted into the Triple Gold Club, which is for winners of the World Junior Championships, the World Championships, and the Winter Olympics. He became just the 28th player to accomplish this feat. Crosby was a captain for Canada and helped them win gold at the World Championships, putting up 4 goals and 7 assists for 11 points in 9 games. It was only his second time playing in this tournament, with the last time being after his rookie season in 2005-06. He put up some big numbers that year, with 8 goals and 8 assists for 16 points in just 9 games.

                                                                                 2015-16

As his prime was coming to a close, there were eyebrows being raised at the beginning of the season. Hockey analysts and insiders began wondering if Crosby would be able to do what he’s previously done in his career. Some doubted his abilities, but he ended up proving them wrong. Crosby still put-up impressive numbers, with 36 goals and 49 assists for 85 points in 80 games. He was a finalist for Hart Trophy voting for the 4th time in his career and brought his team to the playoffs yet again. It was a trip back to the Stanley Cup Final for Pittsburgh, as they ended the seasons of Columbus, Washington, and Tampa Bay.

 

Pittsburgh completed the job, winning the Stanley Cup in 6 games against the San Jose Sharks. Crosby took home his 2nd Cup of his career, as well as his first Conn Smythe Trophy. He put up 6 goals and 13 assists for 19 points in 24 games. 

Prior to the 2016-17 season, Crosby was named captain of Team Canada for the World Cup of Hockey, an event that hadn’t happened since 2004. He was elite in the tournament, picking up 3 goals and 7 assists for 10 points in the 6 games played. Canada defeated Team Europe in 2 games in a best of 3 series to take home the Gold. In addition to that, Crosby was named MVP of the tournament.

                                                                                  2016-17

Coming off his 2nd Stanley Cup, Crosby was still proving he was, if not the most elite player in the league. He recorded 44 goals and 45 assists for 89 points in just 75 games. His 44 goals were enough to win the Maurice Richard Trophy for the second time in his career and was once again nominated a finalist for the Hart Trophy. He took his Penguins to a second consecutive Stanley Cup appearance, this time knocking out New York, Washington, and Ottawa. 

Just like that, Sidney Crosby was a back-to-back Stanley Cup Champion, as well as Conn Smythe Winner. In this postseason run, he totaled 8 goals and 19 assists for 27 points in 24 games. A big part of the success was from him and newcomer Jake Guentzel, as the chemistry between the two were unmatched. Crosby now had 3 Stanley Cups added to his resumé, along with a total of 164 career points in the playoffs. 

              2017-18

Season 13 saw equally similar numbers to years prior, and he wasn't taking his foot off the gas. He put up 29 goals and 60 assists for 89 points in his first full season he had ever played in the NHL, playing all 82 contests. He went back-to-back seasons hitting 89 points, and it is unheard of to be as consistent as Crosby has been throughout his career. He propelled his team into the playoffs for the 12th straight season, beating Philadelphia before being eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Washington Capitals. It marked the end of 9 consecutive playoff series wins, and it came from a team that has historically struggled against Pittsburgh in the playoffs for almost their entire existence. 

Even though they were eliminated early on, Crosby exploded for 9 goals and 12 assists for 21 points in only 12 games. His teammate Jake Guentzel hit the 21-point mark as well in just as many games, and they finished the playoff scoring race tied for 5th, despite being sent home after Round 2. It was a playoff run that was shut down too soon, as both players could’ve put up historical numbers if they had made it back to the Cup Final.

                                                                                  2018-19

Prime Crosby returned for the 2018-19 season, as he hit numbers he hadn’t seen since the 2013-14 campaign. He hit the 100-point mark for the 6th time in his career, picking up 35 goals and 65 assists. He had been nominated for the Hart Trophy once again but did not win it. His regular season success did not translate over to the postseason, as they were swept by the New York Islanders in 4 games. Crosby only picked up an assist in the series, as the entire Pittsburgh team struggled immensely. This began a downward spiral of playoff success for years to come for the team, and questions being asked about Crosby’s future. 

            2019-20

In the season that was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Crosby was still producing at a point per game. He recorded 16 goals and 31 assists for 47 points in 41 games. The season was suspended in March of 2020, and a playoff format/bubble was created for the top 12 teams in each conference. Pittsburgh finished 5th in the East, matching up against the 12th seed, the Montreal Canadiens. Pittsburgh was upset in 4 games and was knocked out the bubble early. Crosby put up 2 goals and 3 points in that series and was the second straight season losing in the opening round.

                                                                                  2020-21

The 2020-21 campaign started in January of 2021 because of the 2020 playoffs ending in September. The season ended up being 56 games long, and Crosby appeared in all but one. He totaled 24 goals and 38 assists for 62 points and matched up against the New York Islanders for the 2nd time in 3 seasons in the playoffs. Crosby only managed a goal and an assist in 6 games, as they headed home early. He was a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award, as well as reaching 1,000 games in the NHL. He was the first to play 1,000 games all with the organization, as the previous record holder was Mario Lemieux with 916. They also hit 15 straight postseason appearances, which was the longest active streak among North American sports leagues.

             2021-22

This season saw Crosby hit some impressive milestones, as he just continued to impress. He scored his 500th career goal in February of 2022, becoming the 46th to ever do that, as well as the 18th to do it with one franchise. He also picked up his 1,400th career point, picking up 3 points in an overtime win in April of 2022. He picked up 31 goals and 53 assists for 84 points, in only 69 games. He included 2 goals and 8 assists for 10 points in the 7-game series loss to the New York Rangers in the first round of the playoffs.

                                                                                    

                                                                                  2022-23

Crosby played in all 82 games during the season, putting up his highest number of points since 2018-19. He notched 33 goals and 60 assists for 93 points. He recorded his 900th career assist in November of 2022, as well as picking up his 1500th career point in April of 2023. This season marked the first time since Crosby's rookie season (2005-06) that Pittsburgh missed the playoffs, as they lost crucial games towards the end of the season. People started to wonder if the end of tunnel was near for Crosby, but the numbers he was putting up said otherwise. 

             2023-24

This season is currently Crosby's 19th season in the NHL, and he is still dominating. So far, he has scored 30 goals and 24 assists for 54 points in 50 games and leads the Penguins in both goals and points. In November of 2023, he played in his 1200th NHL game. Pittsburgh sits at 6th in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 24-20-7. Crosby is looking to record his 19th consecutive season with a point per game average. There is still so much time left of the season, and Crosby looks to lead his team back to the postseason and continue to produce on the scoresheet.