Sidney Crosby Carrying Himself Towards Immortality

Sidney Crosby is adding to his legacy by willing the Pittsburgh Penguins towards a playoff berth.

We’ve reached the point in Sidney Crosby’s career where every night may provide a milestone or new record for the captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins. After being named the NHL’s most complete player by his peers, Crosby offered a taste of what he has been doing all season and put together one of his most complete performances.

The Penguins would be nowhere without Crosby this season. He is likely to lead the team in points for the 13th time in his career, but his play away from the puck and in the defensive zone is what has pushed the Penguins into playoff contention for a 17th straight season.

With his patented backhand goal against the Colorado Avalanche, Crosby became the first player in NHL history to score 30 goals at ages 18 and 35 or older.

The Penguins went on to win the game 5-2 and place themselves back into the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. While his past accolades and championship seasons are all impressive, making the playoffs at the age of 35 with the Penguins current cast of mostly misfit toys would instantly become one of the more impressive feats of Crosby’s career.

Before this season, Crosby mentioned that he would potentially like to play six more seasons, opening the door for him to chase down Ron Francis for fifth all-time in NHL scoring. He has passed six legends this season to place himself at 15th all-time and needs six points in the final 11 games to stay on the realistic pace I set earlier this season for Crosby to catch Francis.

As it stands right now, Crosby has the tenth-best odds at the Hart Trophy. While Connor McDavid seemingly has the award locked up this season, Crosby deserves a top-three finish in that category, especially if he and the Penguins can find a way into the postseason.

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