Better goalscoring tools, Evgeni Malkin or Sidney Crosby

[Plural]

Both superb offensive players, but so far which of the two would you say has better tools to score goals?

Some career stats:

Crosby G/G 0.47
Malkin G/G 0.46

Top-10 finishes in goals:

Crosby: 1st, 1st, 7th, 7th
Malkin: 2nd, 4th, 4th

Top-10 finishes in GPG (threshold of 50 games)

Crosby: 1st, 2nd, 10th (also Crosby has a 1st finish here with 41 games I feel like it's unfair to completely leave it out since he was bound to finish top-10 and probably top-5 without that injury)
Malkin: 2nd, 3rd, 3rd, 6th, 6th

Crosby does have two rockets and that is a compelling argument. But somehow I still feel that Geno is the guy who can score whenever he's on the ice. If it makes any sense, when the Pens are playing a team a cheer for I expect Crosby to score but I fear Malkin more.

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[Voodoo Child]

Crosby has two Rockets to Malkin's zero and is younger and as of this writing he's losing this poll somehow?

This place is ridiculous.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Malkin is more dangerous from long range, but Sid's superior around the net. Sid's at least proven he can lead the league in goals, so at the very least he should have the edge.

 

[Machinehead]

By the eye test, you would certainly think Malkin with his hands, reach, and speed.

But they've been around about 15 years now and Crosby is irrefutably a better goal-scorer.

 

[daver]

Malkin's has been more of the designated goalscorer on the PP than Crosby because of his heavier shot. Crosby gets more goals at ES.

Very close.

 

[TheGuiminator]

Crosby has a better quick release, better at deflections/tips, better at driving the net/ finding loose puck and a better backhand. The only thing Malkin has on Crosby is one-timers.

So Crosby has more tools in his répertoire

 

[bobholly39]

Crosby has two Rockets to Malkin's zero and is younger and as of this writing he's losing this poll somehow?

This place is ridiculous.

Maybe if you give a poll more than 10 mins after its creation to complain about results?

 

[Iapyi]

Crosby has two Rockets to Malkin's zero and is younger and as of this writing he's losing this poll somehow?

This place is ridiculous.

The anti-Canada crowd got off to a quick start but like what usually happens in hockey Canada wins in the end.

 

[ijuka]

Crosby has two Rockets to Malkin's zero and is younger and as of this writing he's losing this poll somehow?

This place is ridiculous.

Crosby's at almost 75% isn't he?

 

[ESH]

Malkin has a better shot, but Crosby is one of the best finishers around the net in the entire league with maybe the best hand-eye of all time. Malkin does have good hands around the net too.

 

[Love]

If Crosby played the whole 10/11 season this poll would’ve never been made.

 

[Midnight Judges]

They're pretty close IMO. Edge to Crosby for sustaining basically the same GPG over more games.

Malkin has a better slapshot and wrister while Sid has a better backhand and still has an all-around great shot.

If Ovechkin didn't exist these guys would be considered great goal scorers.

 

[Midnight Judges]

If Crosby played the whole 10/11 season this poll would’ve never been made.

But in reality Sid was unable to sustain that style of play and had to adjust his game to a more risk averse perimeter style.

 

[Lebowski]

Malkin has a better point shot, I think Crosby is more dangerous in closer range.

Malkin doesn’t have an amazing slapshot to begin with. The Pens never really had a good point shooter and so he got that job by default, almost. He can score from a long range, but I think the Pens’ PP would be a lot more dangerous with a point shot specialist.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Crosby no doubt...his release is lightning.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Crosby is better at every shot besides
Slappers. He also has two rockets

 

[missionAvs]

This is Crosby for me as well. 2x Rockets is what really sticks out IMO.

 

[IWantSakicAsMyGM]

It's close, but I voted Malkin. He's scored 40+ goals in 3 of the 5 seasons where he's played 70+ games. Crosby has played 70+ games in 10 different seasons, and only has 2 40+ goal seasons on his resume.

 

[Regal]

Sid has had bigger spikes, though his 2 rockets are partially due to having those seasons at the right time. I've always tended to lean Malkin as the overall goalscorer because he seemed more consistent but looking at it closer, consistency is pretty much the same so this should probably be Sid. It's basically splitting hairs though. If we're looking at tools though it's Sid

 

[Ctrain2k]

Malkin definitely has better goal scoring tools like size and shot. The things that make Crosby a great goal scorer are the things that make him a great player i.e his his insanely high iq and ability to position himself, but those aren’t goal scoring tools.

 

[daver]

It's close, but I voted Malkin. He's scored 40+ goals in 3 of the 5 seasons where he's played 70+ games. Crosby has played 70+ games in 10 different seasons, and only has 2 40+ goal seasons on his resume.

This is a bit misleading. Just because he missed out on playing 70 games in a season more times than not in his career doesn't make this overly relevant.

That you fail to mention that Malkin has five seasons between 60 and 70 games where he hit a 40 goal pace once makes one wonder how cherrypicked your stat is.

Here are their GPG's in a season that were above a 40 goal pace (min. of 40 games) :

Crosby - 0.78
Malkin 0.67
Crosby - 0.63
Crosby - 0.59
Malkin - 0.57
Malkin - 0.54
Malkin - 0.53

 

[Varan]

Idk. I’ve always considered Malkin the goal scorer out of the two, although Sid has the 2 Rockets. I think from long range, it’s Malkin, in front of the net, it’s Crosby.

 

[Ignatius]

Sid has the best backhand shot I've ever seen, a not-that-close second to him would be Pavel Datsyuk. He is also arguably the best at deflections and crazy hand-eye coordination goals like batting pucks out of mid air.

Malkin has some GREAT tools, most notably his one-timer from the right circle that is lethal on the PP, but Crosby is the clearcut winner based on the premise of this thread.

 

[psycat]

Sid has the best backhand shot I've ever seen, a not-that-close second to him would be Pavel Datsyuk. He is also arguably the best at deflections and crazy hand-eye coordination goals like batting pucks out of mid air.

Malkin has some GREAT tools, most notably his one-timer from the right circle that is lethal on the PP, but Crosby is the clearcut winner based on the premise of this thread.

Sundin had a better backhand that said it's pretty much all he was better at.

 

[IWantSakicAsMyGM]

This is a bit misleading. Just because he missed out on playing 70 games in a season more times than not in his career doesn't make this overly relevant.

That you fail to mention that Malkin has five seasons between 60 and 70 games where he hit a 40 goal pace once makes one wonder how cherrypicked your stat is.

Here are their GPG's in a season that were above a 40 goal pace (min. of 40 games) :

Crosby - 0.78
Malkin 0.67
Crosby - 0.63
Crosby - 0.59
Malkin - 0.57
Malkin - 0.54
Malkin - 0.53

So you're saying that Malkin has more seasons where he paced for 40+ goals? How exactly does that refute what I said?

Also, other than give Crosby credit for a season when he only played 41 games, why make the cutoff 40 games? Why not 60?