Why is Crosby considered a clutch SCF performer?

[Elvs]

I’ve heard it many times. When taking a player for a game 7, lot of people say Crosby.

People say that because he has won three Stanley Cups, two Conn Smythe trophies and two Olympic Gold medals in which he scored goals in both finals, including the OT golden goal the first time around.

Meanwhile, you are ignoring all those things and making a straw man argument.

 

[Shark Finn]

Hm, I wonder why.

Never clinched the Cup at home. What a loser bum bust.

 

[Regal]

I don't think he's considered a SCF performer , just a good playoff performer in general


Never heard him be called this

That was my first thought. He’s regularly known as a good playoff performer but I’ve never seen him praised in particular for his finals

 

[ItWasJustified]

Oilers fans only compare McDavid's stats to Crosby, ignoring the fact that one of those centres plays defense while the other always cheats for offense.

And the fact that offense has been premiered more and more since the mid 00s.

 

[DickSmehlik]

A lot of Crosby fans were crapping on McDavid last summer after the Oilers lost in the Finals, while ignoring Sid has been very underwhelming in the SCF, and in 2 of his 3 Conference Finals.

Thank God his teammates were able to pick up the slack.

This and his lack of scoring titles are good arguments as to why he shouldn’t be in the top 5.

 

[DearDiary]

A lot of Crosby fans were crapping on McDavid last summer after the Oilers lost in the Finals, while ignoring Sid has been very underwhelming in the SCF, and in 2 of his 3 Conference Finals.

Thank God his teammates were able to pick up the slack.

This and his lack of scoring titles are good arguments as to why he shouldn’t be in the top 5.

Crosby has 3 cups because the Pens spread their talent, leaving him with weaker linemates. McDavid has 0 cups because either he or Draisaitl need to play winger for the other to pad their stats.

 

[Zbynek]

In 2017 he finally scored a goal in the finals coupled with 6 assists with zero points in the SC winning game.

?????
That you don't even realize how absurd this sentence sounds says everything about this thread and your motives to make it.

 

[Reality Czech]

Surely you've got something better to do than post this poor excuse of a thread.

 

[JimmyH]

Surely you've got something better to do than post this poor excuse of a thread

Crosby barely contributed during each of Pittsburgh's 3 SCF runs, and you can't handle it.

 

[daver]

I’ve heard it many times. When taking a player for a game 7, lot of people say Crosby.

Change this to the player you take to avoid your team having to play a Game 7 to begin with.

 

[daver]

Crosby barely contributed during each of Pittsburgh's 3 SCF runs, and you can't handle it.

It was actually 4 SCF runs and if by "barely contributed" you mean:

1. Leading the playoffs in scoring

2. Leading the playoffs in goals (the 2nd highest total during his era) and over 30 points

3. Conn Smythe

4. Conn Smythe

 

[Caroline Says ll]

Crosby did perform well in all the cup runs. I do disagree with the premise of your thread.

However, I do think there is a discussion on the validity of his two Conn Smythe's. I personally do not understand how he won it in 2016. Kessel deserved that Conn Smythe and I believe it was more a legacy award for Crosby by the voters than a reward on the true MVP.

That being said in all three of their winning seasons, Crosby was always second in points in those post seasons for their team. That is production and performing well.

 

[Reality Czech]

Crosby barely contributed during each of Pittsburgh's 3 SCF runs, and you can't handle it.

Lol I'm not even a Pens fan and have no horse this race. But anyone who thinks Crosby "barely contributed" is pretty clueless. I'm guessing OP is a young whipper snapper who doesn't know any better.

 

[daver]

Crosby did perform well in all the cup runs. I do disagree with the premise of your thread.

However, I do think there is a discussion on the validity of his two Conn Smythe's. I personally do not understand how he won it in 2016. Kessel deserved that Conn Smythe and I believe it was more a legacy award for Crosby by the voters than a reward on the true MVP.

That being said in all three of their winning seasons, Crosby was always second in points in those post seasons for their team. That is production and performing well.

Kessel would have been a deserving winner but it was hardly a no-brainer that he had a better playoffs than Crosby. He put up more points on the PP; arguably because Crosby and Malkin drew the attention of the other team. He wasn't necessarily the driver of the HBK line; both H and B had more ES points.

It was a team effort that year for the Pens, by design, with Crosby being the centrepeice of a team that was rolling out three #1 lines. That Pens team is in the mix for 2nd best Cup winner since 05/06.

 

[Bradely]

While I totally disagree with Coffey and Why is Crosby considered a clutch SCF performer (Crosby has shown being clutch and leaded an organisation to three SC in less than 10 years which in modern hockey is really rare), I just can't understand how some folks are that emotional responding to this......

 

[Caroline Says ll]

Kessel would have been a deserving winner but it was hardly a no-brainer that he had a better playoffs than Crosby. He put up more points on the PP; arguably because Crosby and Malkin drew the attention of the other team. He wasn't necessarily the driver of the HBK line; both H and B had more ES points.

It was a team effort that year for the Pens, by design, with Crosby being the centrepeice of a team that was rolling out three #1 lines. That Pens team is in the mix for 2nd best Cup winner since 05/06.

Kessel had 4 more goals than Crosby - resulting in 4 more points. They played on the same power play unit. I doubt there will ever be another year where a player leads his team in goals and has four more points than his closest teammate and does not win.

Powerplays and penalty kills in the recent years have been the deciding factor of the majority of series, so I really don't get the argument that less even strength points is some kind of factor.

In the end Kessel lead his team by four points and had 4 more goals than his closest teammate. He had 5 even strength goals and Crosby had 3.

 

[RANDOMH3RO]

Silly thread. Crosby has 201 career playoff points, tied with jagr for 5th all time but in 28 less games. Anyone ahead of him are 80’s oilers. His reputation as a playoff performer is well earned. He’s had a couple quiet final performances, but I feel like once you reach that stage an entire team performance is necessary to go over the top.

Like mcdavid in game 7 last year. Only needed to win one game to make for one of the most historical Stanley cup wins of all time, and came up with absolutely nothing in a loss. Mike Rupp has a game 7 cup winning goal, maybe he’s more clutch than the both of them…

 

[K Fleur]

You can look at the stats for the 2016 finals and label Crosby’s performance as underwhelming.

But if you watched the series you’d know that Pens dominated the Sharks pretty much every game with Crosby being a key part of it. A weird series that went 6 games but never really felt close.

 

[Midnight Judges]

But if you watched the series you’d know that Pens dominated the Sharks pretty much every game with Crosby being a key part of it.

Then why was he a net plus/minus zero in that series?

 

[ScaryCarey31]

Pretty dumb take. Does this guy actually think that any team in the finals is going to just let opposing star players do anything they want in the highest stake games of their lives? With the exception of the last few seasons the cup finals arent exactly known for high octane offence and run and gun play.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

You can look at the stats for the 2016 finals and label Crosby’s performance as underwhelming.

But if you watched the series you’d know that Pens dominated the Sharks pretty much every game with Crosby being a key part of it. A weird series that went 6 games but never really felt close.

He was dominating them so hard it got to the point where Logan couture was complaining that Sid frustratedly complained that he was “cheating” lol.

 

[eXile3]

09 Malkin won the Conn Smythe

2016 Sid finished 3rd in SCF scoring
2017 Sid finished 1st in SCF scoring

Combined with the matchups he faced and his defensive play…that’s why.

Yes McDavid can put a lot of points in this current iteration of the NHL. It was a lot harder when players were allowed to tackle another player 30 feet from the puck and they had to worry about getting their heads taken off.

 

[Night Shift]

Max Talbot was a super star

 

[Romang67]

09 Malkin won the Conn Smythe

2016 Sid finished 3rd in SCF scoring
2017 Sid finished 1st in SCF scoring

Combined with the matchups he faced and his defensive play…that’s why.

Yes McDavid can put a lot of points in this current iteration of the NHL. It was a lot harder when players were allowed to tackle another player 30 feet from the puck and they had to worry about getting their heads taken off.

What does that have to do with Crosby?

 

[PaulD]

Well said. Not invisible, not a liability.
But not some amazing showman that is thrown around when SCF performances are brought up.

Not even sure why people are bringing up McDavid in here. Crosby is a top 5 player of all time and I’m not even questioning his legendary status, just saying he doesn’t really excel in the finals.

Yes he does.