Yea players are the same in the playoffs and regular season for the most part. The exceptions are players who are bad enough in the regular season to get noted for playing better in the playoffs like Max Talbot.
Crosby a clutch player?
- Thread starter Dallas Winston
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Yea players are the same in the playoffs and regular season for the most part. The exceptions are players who are bad enough in the regular season to get noted for playing better in the playoffs like Max Talbot.
Crosby at his best is beating teams from the drop of the puck, not necessarily rising up in the 3rd period or OT.
A goal and assist after two periods that puts your team up by 2 or 3 goals should mean just as much as late game heroics.
A goal and assist after two periods that puts your team up by 2 or 3 goals should mean just as much as late game heroics.
I disagree. Some players can dominate a game when there is so much pressure on them to perform Other players realize that there is a lot of pressure and they end up ******** the bed because they're trying so hard not to screw up that they inevitably do.
Now Crosby I'd have to say he's clutch as well as being the best player in the game.
WarriorofTime
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Conn Smythe and Some Recognition of Individual Performance at the Olympics are definitely noticeably missing from his resume. Wouldn't matter for most guys but when you're deemed hands down the best player to enter the league in 20 years, it would be nice to see.
Not to people who watch hockey. What more did you want from him this year? Pad his stats against Norway and Austria at the expense of his team building towards peaking in the medal round? As captain he set the tone for team and was the best forward in the medal rounds. But I guess you wanted a Phil Kessel performance instead. I'm sure he is much happier with his individual recognition than a medal.
The Conn Smythe has been discussed too death but it's the same theme. Sacrificing personal stats for the good of the team.
He does but that was one of the only years he played even reasonably well in the playoffs. Some of the Penguins exits he was all but invisible relative to what he was expected to be, and what he had been all season long. Meanwhile his big National team games for Russia over the years both as a junior and today....pretty much pathetic, like all of the "star" Russians. Minus that one World Championships which Russia won and he was probably their best player, but that isnt exactly cream of the crop.
WarriorofTime
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Yes , they are /get over it. Gretzky, Lemieux, and Orr all won the Conn Smythe twice (Conn Smythe Trophy wasn't around in Gordie Howe's heyday or he would have won it a few times as well).
The idea that Crosby producing points sacrifices from his team is ludicrous. The team stuff is nice but when you're the best player in the generation, you need to shine on the biggest moments and not just be a cog in the wheel.
Could we give it some time? Crosby still has a lot of hockey left to prove himself. It's not like Gretzky or Lemieux won Conne Smythe's every year. Crosby has time to add one or two to his resume.
However, speaking of being a cog in a wheel... do you think the Penguins would win the Stanley Cup next year after they sold Crosby to a California team?
You have no credibility when you say things like this.
I guess it needs to be said once again. In his one chance to win a Conn Smythe, Crosby put up the second best playoff performance in 20 years. His teammate put up the best. He was the favourite going into the final where Detroit threw everything they could at Crosby to shut him down and got burned for it by Malkin, which was deservedly recognized by the Conn Smythe.
Stop reading Wikipedia and watch the games.
WarriorofTime
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Of course there's time. Plenty of time. But it is worth pointing out that from a legacy standpoint, a Conn Smythe would be meaningful.Could we give it some time? Crosby still has a lot of hockey left to prove himself. It's not like Gretzky or Lemieux won Conne Smythe's every year. Crosby has time to add one or two to his resume.
However, speaking of being a cog in a wheel... do you think the Penguins would win the Stanley Cup next year after they sold Crosby to a California team?
And no, the penguins would be much worse without Crosby.
WarriorofTime
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His "one chance"? He's been in the league for 9 seasons now. He has one cup, but his teammate was better. It's pretty simple. Are you familiar with the nba? Even with three rings, Kobe was still heavily criticized until he had a finals mvp.
Dipsy Doodle
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No, he wasn't. It was a pick 'em that Malkin won because he produced against the Wings while Crosby took on the much, much more formidable defensive match-up. Sid got Lidstrom and Zetterberg shadowing him while Malkin got Filppula and Kronwall.
Geno, God love him, didn't even show up until halfway through the Caps series, which threads from the time corroborate.
No use arguing, you'll just keep throwing out the "well, Wayne/Mario/Orr did this" to cut him down.
Frank the Tank
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One reason I know Crosby is the best player in the game is because it takes the combined accomplishments of 4-5 other players to argue against his achievements. When it comes to regular season individual awards it is Ovechkin who is better, when it comes to winning championships it is Toews, when it comes to clutch playoff performances it is Malkin, when it comes to a mixture of offensive production combined with defensive acumen it is Datsyuk, when it comes to his place in history one is reminded that he is no Gretzky/Lemieux, etc... However, when one tries to stack any of these current players head-to-head across all these areas of the game then Crosby comes out on top easily.
WarriorofTime
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He's this generation's talent. It's not like we can evenly compare players across generations but if the Orr/Gretzky/Lemieux were the best players of their generations without question then Crosby is certainly the best in this current one without question. It's not like the early 2000s when you could make an argument for a bunch of guys. If I say Crosby is the best player in the world it's hard to say someone else is better.
WarriorofTime
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I'm inclined to agree which is why I consider the conn Smythe and some type of individual olympic dominance to be missing from his career atm
Cursed Lemon
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I never said he was and that's not what the thread is about. He is currently the best player in the world and showed that at the Olympic games as he was the best forward in the medal rounds. His MO is to keep his level of play at a very high level in the playoffs and in pressure games which usually, but not always, means he is better than anyone else.
But if you want to count trophies and all-star nominations as the only measurement of greatness go ahead.
TheGoldenBoy
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Meh I think the Conn Smythe argument is a little unfair to Crosby regarding the 09 cup run. Crosby was easily the best player on the Pens against the Caps and the Sens. Malkin was the best player against the Hurricanes and Wings. Hurricanes because he beasted and Wings because he had an "easier" defense guarding him the entire series. I specifically remember watching the series and noticing Babcock immediately change his lines whenever Crosby was on the ice so that his best defenders could be put against him. I'd say the Conn Smythe was more 1a. Malkin 1b. Crosby rather than Malkin Conn Smythe omg crosby not clutch. Plus Crosby was injured most of game 7, so that helped Malkin's case of course.
Clutch absolutely exists. This isn't baseball. Hockey is more than just statistics and probabilities. Great players can absolutely force the issue and create chances by coming through when it is needed most.
Crosby is absolutely a "clutch" player. What does "clutch" mean? IMO it means that you can count on them to come through when it matters most (like, I dunno...a gold medal game). It doesn't mean they're going to come up big all of the time, but it means you can have faith that when you really need him, he will come through. "Clutch" means you have earned enough respect that people don't question you for not scoring against Norway and Latvia.
I do agree with the posters who point out that individual accolades are noticeably missing from his resume though. But if you don't think Ovechkin would trade all of his Hart & Art Ross trophies for Crosby's Stanley Cup and gold medals you are kidding yourself (or you don't have a very high opinion of Ovechkin's motives).
That said, if Crosby doesn't take a puck to the face last year he wins the Hart pretty easy; and if a similar incident doesn't happen this year he should be able to check that box on his resume soon. I wonder what the haters will say when he finally gets that? I presume the lack of a Conn Smythe will be the next knock against him.
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