Crosby a clutch player?

[ECanuck]

Ok, I somewhat agree with most of you guys having your points why he's clutch.

Maybe I just don't want to buy in the fact that a player who never meets personal expectations (not team) and having poor performances in the games leading to the finals, and then scoring in the finals can be clutch.

Look at Kunitz's goal and see who is pressuring Sedin to cough up the puck.

 

[Beau Knows]

having poor performances in the games leading to the finals, and then scoring in the finals can be clutch.

Are you being serious? Crosby was excellent in this tournament. The opposition had very few scoring opportunities when he was on the ice (and never scored), while he led Canada in scoring chances generated.

Puck luck is a huge factor in short tournaments, Crosby was great in the tournament and wasn't always rewarded for it. But he did score in the biggest game (again).

 

[CRDragon]

Look at Kunitz's goal and see who is pressuring Sedin to cough up the puck.

If anything, Kunitz didn't help Crosby be more clutch in the tournament. Would that 3rd goal make Kunitz "clutch"?

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

I wasn't rooting for Canada at all, but threads like this make me happy they won

 

[ECanuck]

If anything, Kunitz didn't help Crosby be more clutch in the tournament. Would that 3rd goal make Kunitz "clutch"?

He does a lot more than you see. Clutch is also being ready to clear the pass in front of your net in the last seconds of a 1 goal game. But, you would never notice him doing that because you don't look for it.

Scored some big goals, plays defense, is a great teammate, and willing to mold into the team. I'm not sure how you are disappointed with him. I don't get it.

 

[Hatfield]

He is but he isnt the best in that category either. He is somewhere in the middle. He is far more clutch than say Ovechkin and Malkin who you can count on to fold in big games. He is not as clutch as someone like Jonathan Toews though. If I bet my life on someone to win a big game for me Crosby would not be my first choice, and he probably wouldnt even be one of my first five choices.

Last I checked, Malkin has a Conn Smythe.

Ovechkin gets lambasted for not showing up in big games and it's partly deserved given the Caps' track record in Game 7s, but his playoff numbers are good overall and he's shown that he can score in clutch moments (i.e. game-winning or late game-tying goals) fairly regularly. He's actually already 3rd all-time in regular season OT goals, 3 behind Jagr. He's not clutch but he's a star player who performs as well as you'd expect him to.

Same with Crosby; great player, and his game doesn't decline in clutch situations...but it doesn't really rise either.

 

[Honour Over Glory]

Are you being serious? Crosby was excellent in this tournament. The opposition had very few scoring opportunities when he was on the ice (and never scored), while he led Canada in scoring chances generated.

Puck luck is a huge factor in short tournaments, Crosby was great in the tournament and wasn't always rewarded for it. But he did score in the biggest game (again).

This.

Everyone assumes playing great means lots and lots of points. Definitely not. Crosby was a beast at both ends of the rink, he played a complete game every game and took a ton of faceoffs, puck possession is a massive part of the game, if the other team can't get it away from him when he's out on the ice, they can't do anything against him.

 

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaa]

If you have to explain why he is not clutch because this goal was a fluke and that goal was too easy and this goal should have been stopped by the goalie and that goal was a bad giveaway and that goal...

Give it up. He's clutch.

Canadian Crosby haters, enjoy it while you can, because I have noticed a change in the past year or so. He is starting to get the credit he deserves as people are realizing all the stupid 2006 "whiner" statements have no merit and his list of accomplishments keeps on growing.

Like I said, enjoy it while you can, because like with Gretzky, people are starting to come around.

 

[Captain Bowie]

If he's not I'd like to know who is.

 

[Big Phil]

Sorry but that first goal by toews put the game to bed. Sweden wasn't scoring nor getting through that wall of a defense

So I guess you turned off the TV and went right back to bed after the Toews goal in the first period? No, of course you didn't. The fact that you watched the game afterwards shows that you know very well one goal may not have been enough. Or else they'd have awarded the gold medal game after that goal.

Crosby's goal made it 2-0. I would say it all but sealed it. Then again, there is always that "but". 1-0 is a lead where one mistake can tie the game 2-0 is a lead where one mistake can lead to a one goal game and lead to pulling the goalie at which point you never know. 2-0 is certainly safer however. Regardless of how great Canada was playing a mistake still could have happened. So that Crosby goal, like the Toews one, was important.

Both players scored a goal in the gold medal game 4 years apart. Why can't we just agree that both of them are great leaders and stepped up when the game was on the line? Why is this hard?

 

[yuri28]

He is but he isnt the best in that category either. He is somewhere in the middle. He is far more clutch than say Ovechkin and Malkin who you can count on to fold in big games. He is not as clutch as someone like Jonathan Toews though. If I bet my life on someone to win a big game for me Crosby would not be my first choice, and he probably wouldnt even be one of my first five choices.

Geno has scored at a better rate than Sid during those Olympics, despite playing for a worse team than Canada.
And his performance against US was much better than anything Sid showed during those Olympics....but for some reason, he went scoreless (i still don't get how this happened, so dominant he were in that game).

 

[tinkezione]

I agree with the opinions where Crosby was a beast all through the tournament (perhaps Latvia game was his weakest) and doing practically everything else on the ice but score a ton of points. When the fate of gold needed to be sealed, he took full advantage of Swedish sloppy play at their offensive blue, went off to races and after 2-0 the game was over. So, yes, he proved to be a clutch player once again.

 

[daver]

Geno has scored at a better rate than Sid during those Olympics, despite playing for a worse team than Canada.
And his performance against US was much better than anything Sid showed during those Olympics....but for some reason, he went scoreless (i still don't get how this happened, so dominant he were in that game).

You know, you have a good point, Malkin doesn't fold in big games. He is like Sid where he keeps his game at the same level, relatively speaking, which is usually better than anyone else's game.

But this gets lost when you feel you have to directly compare him to Crosby.

 

[tinkezione]

Malkin was the only dangerous player against Finland all game. I was literally ******** bricks every time he carried the puck up the ice.

 

[daver]

Let's just say, if we had lost in an elimination game, there'd be no finals for Crosby to be "clutch". Instead, there'd be a thread asking if Crosby is a choker.

Here's a debating tip - throwing around hypothetical situations doesn't help.

 

[daver]

I feel bad for some people who will cringe every time they see Crosby's two iconic OG goals?

 

[LynxBud]

Yes he is.

 

[skillhockey]

Clutch means better results in big games so no. There are players that perform better in playoffs than regular season.

 

[hatterson]

Clutch means better results in big games so no. There are players that perform better in playoffs than regular season.

I'd challenge you to list players who have a consistent history of increasing their performance in big games as opposed to normal games.

 

[MadLuke]

Clutch means better results in big games so no. There are players that perform better in playoffs than regular season.

Or if the opposition diminish is level on big game, the ability to keep your same value during those moment could be seen as clutch. If you are the best player during the regular season, you do not need to get better in the big games, just continuing to be the best player when all eye and pressure are on you should do. (i.e. Gretzky did not need to step up from 215 points in 80 games during the playoff to be the most clutch player ever, continuing doing your over 2.5 points a game would do).

For the better result in big games think, need that you do not give your 100% on usual game to start with.

 

[daver]

He is but he isnt the best in that category either. He is somewhere in the middle. He is far more clutch than say Ovechkin and Malkin who you can count on to fold in big games. He is not as clutch as someone like Jonathan Toews though. If I bet my life on someone to win a big game for me Crosby would not be my first choice, and he probably wouldnt even be one of my first five choices.

Nice knowing you.

Who are your five players?

 

[skillhockey]

I'd challenge you to list players who have a consistent history of increasing their performance in big games as opposed to normal games.

Briere. Forsberg was better also but last few years with injuries lowered the numbers. There sure are others but won't bother going over too many statistics.

 

[hatterson]

Briere. Forsberg was better also but last few years with injuries lowered the numbers. There sure are others but won't bother going over too many statistics.

Briere had 2 years in which his PPG in the playoffs exceeded his PPG in the regular season by a decent amount.

09-10 when he had 30 points in 23 games and 11-12 when he had 13 points in 11 games.

In 11-12 that was mainly driven by an insane shooting percentage (read luck), in 09-10 it was driven by a bit of the fact that he had a poor season and a significant increase in the performance of his linemates and a 23 game sample size.

He also had one season in which his playoff performance (in terms of PPG) was lower than his regular season performance, 06-07, mostly due to an extremely low shooting percentage (read luck)

Basically Briere is just a good player who also played well in the playoffs.

Forsberg is the same. Yes, he had good post season performances, but he also had good regular season performances.

Crosby isn't clutch because he was good in the Semis and Finals, he's just a really good player who plays good in the vast majority of his games.

 

[kihei]

I wish all questions had such easy answers: yes, Crosby is a clutch player. Sheeesh.

 

[Aaaaaaaaaaaaa]

Briere. Forsberg was better also but last few years with injuries lowered the numbers. There sure are others but won't bother going over too many statistics.

The legacy of Danny Briere lives on in the hearts of the young. Little kids everywhere dream of scoring the OT goal in the Stanley Cup finals and finally getting to scream for all to hear, "I AM DANNY BRIERE!!!"

Sleep well, little Briere. Sleep well.