Are Ovechkin and Crosby their teams’ best players?

[Silky mitts]

You can define best as however you want but I prefer if the playoffs started tomorrow whom do you worry about the most?

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[Son Goku]

Yes but Malkin is starting to make a case.

 

[Koivu11]

Yes they are.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Kuzy for caps. Crosby for pens

 

[daver]

You can define best as however you want but I prefer if the playoffs started tomorrow whom do you worry about the most?

The guy who has won two Smythes and is the clear playoff points leader over the past three seasons.

 

[bobholly39]

Yes

Regarding Malkin its never really been so much about Crosby being "better" than him. Crosby is better than Tavares or Getzlaf easily enough for example- not sure its like that with Malkin.

For most of their careers Malkin has been as good. The difference is that Crosby is more consistent and more reliable in big moments. So because of these 2 things id say he is "better".

OV - i suppose you could argue Kuz is becoming just as good/better lately but ill still give it to Ov alone based on track record for now. It could change

 

[psycat]

Yes

Regarding Malkin its never really been so much about Crosby being "better" than him. Crosby is better than Tavares or Getzlaf easily enough for example- not sure its like that with Malkin.

For most of their careers Malkin has been as good. The difference is that Crosby is more consistent and more reliable in big moments. So because of these 2 things id say he is "better".

OV - i suppose you could argue Kuz is becoming just as good/better lately but ill still give it to Ov alone based on track record for now. It could change

But Malkin has been better over the 2 last years combined. Kuz is better than Ovechkin in my opinion.

 

[bobholly39]

But Malkin has been better over the 2 last years combined. Kuz is better than Ovechkin in my opinion.

2 years "combined" ?

16-17 regular season Advantage Crosby
16-17 playoffs advantage Crosby (you can maybe say tied - but certainly not better for Malkin, when Crosby won smythe)
17-18 regular season - Advance Malkin (but again, Crosby stepped up when he needed mid-year to get Pens back on track)
17-18 playoffs - Advantage Crosby


how is that 2 yrs? Unless you consider 6 more points in 9 games in 18-19 to be a "year"

 

[NoMessi]

2 years "combined" ?

16-17 regular season Advantage Crosby
16-17 playoffs advantage Crosby (you can maybe say tied - but certainly not better for Malkin, when Crosby won smythe)
17-18 regular season - Advance Malkin (but again, Crosby stepped up when he needed mid-year to get Pens back on track)
17-18 playoffs - Advantage Crosby


how is that 2 yrs? Unless you consider 6 more points in 9 games in 18-19 to be a "year"

Because of a popularity vote which ended 12-3.

Malkin played less, was more consistent and had more points.

Crosby was straight up bad against CBJ, that seems to be forgotten.

 

[bobholly39]

Because of a popularity vote which ended 12-3.

Malkin played less, was more consistent and had more points.

Crosby was straight up bad against CBJ, that seems to be forgotten.

How was Crosby bad against CBJ exactly? 7 points in 5 games and Pens easily won. Yes forgotten i agree as i dont recall that at all and dont think it happened.

Malkin is the one who almost 'compiled'vs CBJ with 11 points in 5 in a few easy wins. He was less productive rest of the way as competition got harder.

Either way Crosby as you say was given the Smythe by a large majority and as such was the better player overall (or at very least tied). Your personal bias doesnt change that - and it goes against your initial claim that Malkin has been better for 2 years running.

 

[daver]

Because of a popularity vote which ended 12-3.

Malkin played less, was more consistent and had more points.

Crosby was straight up bad against CBJ, that seems to be forgotten.

I think it is time they removed the "Who do you think is cooler?" question from the Smythe ballot.

 

[Midnight Judges]

But Malkin has been better over the 2 last years combined. Kuz is better than Ovechkin in my opinion.

If two years is the standard, I definitely don't see a case for Kuznetsov.

Kuz,
184 points / 63 goals

Ovie
191 points / 102 goals

 

[psycat]

If two years is the standard, I definitely don't see a case for Kuznetsov.

Kuz,
184 points / 63 goals

Ovie
191 points / 102 goals

Well that's why I said in my opinion, mostly eye test but I am well aware that it might be the minority opinion. That said he was better in the playoffs and Ovechkin mostly got his Smythe because of the narrative.

Would simply prefer having Kuznetzov the upcoming year but it's more of a hunch so might be I voted wrong.

 

[BlueDream]

Yes, easily.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Because of a popularity vote which ended 12-3.

Malkin played less, was more consistent and had more points.

Crosby was straight up bad against CBJ, that seems to be forgotten.

Imo that smythe could have gone to either. The tiebreaker imo was the cup finals, where Crosby was better.

 

[moropanov]

No Ovechin is not near Washington's best player Kuznetsov Bäckström Holtby Carlson and even Oshie are better players. Crosby propably is still Penguins best player maybe not point getting but as overall player yes.

 

[Ainec]

Kuzy is clearly better and Crosby is tied with Malkin

 

[qqaz]

There's more to "best player" than current point totals.

Ovechkin is absolutely Washington's best player.
Crosby is absolutely Pittsburgh's best player.

 

[NoMessi]

How was Crosby bad against CBJ exactly? 7 points in 5 games and Pens easily won. Yes forgotten i agree as i dont recall that at all and dont think it happened.

Malkin is the one who almost 'compiled'vs CBJ with 11 points in 5 in a few easy wins. He was less productive rest of the way as competition got harder.

Either way Crosby as you say was given the Smythe by a large majority and as such was the better player overall (or at very least tied). Your personal bias doesnt change that - and it goes against your initial claim that Malkin has been better for 2 years running.

Those wins wasnt easy. If not for Malkin they wouldnt have advanced. Karlssons line raped Crosbys line and then the dubinsky Line did the same when they switched matchups halfway through (or if Dubinsky started and then they switched, cant remember)

That was no easy series at all.

But I agree Crosby was better in the finals, albeit with a smaller margin than the lead Malkin had built up through the series before.

 

[Koivu11]

No Ovechin is not near Washington's best player Kuznetsov Bäckström Holtby Carlson and even Oshie are better players. Crosby propably is still Penguins best player maybe not point getting but as overall player yes.

How is Oshie better than Ovechkin?

 

[daver]

Because of a popularity vote which ended 12-3.

Malkin played less, was more consistent and had more points.

Crosby was straight up bad against CBJ, that seems to be forgotten.

If Malkin was truly better than Crosby he would have played even fewer minutes than he did. All the greats play less than 10 minutes per game.

 

[bobholly39]

Those wins wasnt easy. If not for Malkin they wouldnt have advanced. Karlssons line raped Crosbys line and then the dubinsky Line did the same when they switched matchups halfway through (or if Dubinsky started and then they switched, cant remember)

That was no easy series at all.

But I agree Crosby was better in the finals, albeit with a smaller margin than the lead Malkin had built up through the series before.

Pretty sure you're confusing the CBJ series.

In 2016-2017 the scores were:

3-1 Pit
4-1 Pit
5-4 Pit (OT)
4-5 Col
5-2 Pit

Scoreboard Pitt 21 CBJ 13. I don't remember watching every game but it was pretty lopsided for Pitt in terms of results and score.

Regardless though you're changing the subject. This thread is about the Penguins best player - and you said Malkin has been better for 2 years. I say he hasn't - as 16-17 regular season was clearly Crosby - and playoffs were at worst tied between the 2 - and probably slight edge to Crosby.
Malkin was only better regular season last year (not playoffs). Unless you're giving undue importance to a 10 game sample size this year.

Crosby is better than Malkin generally due to consistency and ability to step up in big games. You can call them equal if you want - but i don't think Malkin is better - certainly not for the last 2 years.

 

[Machinehead]

lmao @ Kuznetsov being better than Ovechkin.

Yeah, and then he turns his ps4 off.

 

[Devil Dancer]

Slight edge to Kuzy and Malkin, but both are very close.

 

[Connor McConnor]

No Ovechin is not near Washington's best player Kuznetsov Bäckström Holtby Carlson and even Oshie are better players. Crosby propably is still Penguins best player maybe not point getting but as overall player yes.

Carlson and Oshie lmao. Go give your head a shake and watch another sport.

Disclamer: go give this guys post history a read. He literally has posted 10+ comments disparaging Ovi. Not sure what he did to his family but clearly there is an agenda here.

My favourite comment "There are hundreds of better players around world better than Ovechkin even in AHL European leagues etc. For example Teemu Pulkkinen is like Ovechkin expect better if he would switch places with Ovy he could score 50-60 per season it isnt so hard anyone with good shot could just shoot those dozens and dozens of set ups to back of the net there is not much skill included."