More fantasy stuff. Seems like everyone can get tickets to Fantasy Land except Crosby.
Btw, if you are going to quote CYM, make sure there isn't any cherrypicking going on. There is a reason he choose seven best "playoff opponents compared to league GAA" and not eight because that would have included Carolina in 2009. But why make a sample size larger than it has to be when a point has to be made.
So add in Carolina to the mix and it's 37 points in 41 games. Pretty close to a PPG especially when you consider he was playing with a hand injury in 2013 vs. the Rangers.
So how does Crosby's performance vs. tough competition rate against the other top playoff performers? Only Malkin and Giroux are above a PPG overall so I am sure it rates pretty highly.
And I challenge you to find a Cup winning team that was more reliant on its two biggest offensive stars than the '09 Pens.
Let's have a look at that. We'll compare Crosby to Toews, Kopitar, and Getzlaf, as these four players' careers overlap almost entirely. Others are welcome to run the numbers for Thornton, Datsyuk, Sedin, or whomever else they like. I've broken down opponents into categories, based on their goals against rank in the regular season. These categories are below average defensively (16th or worse in GA ranking), decent (11th-15th in GA), very good (6th-10th), and elite (1st-5th).
Crosby:
Below average: 46 GP. 28 G, 42 A, 70 points. 1.52 ppg.
Decent: 13 GP. 1 G, 10 A, 11 points. 1.18 ppg.
Very Good: 9 GP. 5 G, 7 A, 12 points. 1.33 ppg.
Elite: 32 GP. 9 G, 16 A, 25 points. 0.78 ppg.
Summary: A shockingly high number of games against below average defensive teams. And Crosby has pummeled them, to be fair. A steep decline against "elite" teams. Offensively, Crosby is the worst (by a thin margin) of the four players being compared against such teams. He's done well against "very good" opponents, though the sample size is small.
Toews:
Below average: 18 GP. 10 G, 6 A, 16 points. 0.89 ppg.
Decent: 29 GP. 7 G, 21 A, 28 points. 0.97 ppg.
Very Good: 33 GP. 10 G, 18 A, 28 points. 0.85 ppg.
Elite: 37 GP. 12 G, 18 A, 30 points. 0.81 ppg.
Summary: His playmaking against the "very good" teams has been weak. Has performed significantly better against "elite" teams, which forms his largest sample size. Has not exploited "tomato cans" to the extent that Crosby has.
Edit: In my original numbers I only credited Toews with 8 assists against "Very Good" teams. The actual total is 18. So in fact he has not been a worse playmaker against those teams, I shorted him 10 assists. I apologize for the error.
Kopitar:
Below average: No games played.
Decent: 13 GP. 2 G, 8 A, 10 points. 0.77 ppg.
Very Good: 25 GP. 7 G, 15 A, 22 points. 0.88 ppg.
Elite: 32 GP. 9 G, 19 A, 28 points. 0.88 ppg.
Summary: A consistently strong point producer, and has never once had the luxury of a weak opponent.
Getzlaf:
Below average: 12 GP. 5 G, 12 A, 17 points. 1.42 ppg.
Decent: 14 GP. 3 G, 10 A, 13 points. 0.93 ppg.
Very Good: 15 GP. 5 G, 8 A, 13 points. 0.87 ppg.
Elite: 56 GP. 14 G, 37 A, 51 points. 0.91 ppg*
*Note: Includes two points in a 7-game series against #1 ranked defense Calgary in 2005-06. Getzlaf was a rookie. None of the other three players made the playoffs in their rookie seasons. His average is 1.00 ppg if this season is removed.
Summary: Easily the toughest road to hoe out of all four of these players. The best offensive player against elite opponents of the group. In the few games he's played against weak teams, he's smoked them in Crosby-like fashion.
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When it comes to elite opponents in the playoffs, Crosby is the weakest offensively, and arguably defensively as well depending on your opinion of Getzlaf. Toews and Kopitar have both out-produced Crosby and certainly been more effective defensively against top-end teams. Nothing "fantasy land" occurring here.