McDavid had 11 points in 7 games in the WJC as a 17 year old, he definitely didn't stink last year in the playoffs either. I don't think he's the same kind of cat Crosby is, and that has effects on the team around him, but I would never say he's not a big game player.
Reinhart - Domi - Duclair was the best line for that team.
My point was more that he fails to deliver in the clutch as "the guy".
It's kinda of been an issue with him all of his career.
You can say that 1. The defense wouldn't hold up today in it's makeup and also 2. It was good enough at the time. Guys like Orpik and Scuderi were legitimately good defensively at that point in time (even tho Orpik a lil overrated still) and Letang played much better after Bylsma came in.
The Pens finished 9th in goals against and 4th in goals for in 2009, and that's without Gonchar for most of the year.
Also totally forgot about Boston that year. They won the presidents trophy and had the best offense and defense in the league that season.. and lost in the 2nd round.
It was good enough because we had Sid and Geno doing what they were doing.
Orpik was trash and continued to be trash here for years.
Scuderi had a 3-4 year window of being a top four D.
Gill lasted like one more year in terms of being a top four guy. Eaton was basically out of the league until we decided to bring him back in 2013.
Gonchar basically fell apart after that season.
Letang was Letang but at that point was not the player he was even in 2010.
That defense like most of the Penguins forward group immediately dissipated in terms of NHL careers outside of the Penguins having to use them.