the crosby weakness.

[EroCaps]

Crosby may be "slower" than the Ruskies, but his overall skating (movement, strength, etc.) is unparalleled by any prospect I have ever seen.

Yeah, he has phenomenal lower body strength for a guy playing with teenagers.

For my money, Lemieux and Jagr have/had the best I've ever seen.

 

[Wondercarrot]

Speed?? Did someone knock his speed?!?
Please.
I don't know if ive ever seen a quicker player. His acceleration is astonishing, and that's what its all about, his top speed is also excellent...maybe he's not as top end fast as Kovalchuk but i guarantee you nobody's going to catch crosby on a breakaway.

and since most of an NHL game is spent doing 70 foot sprints i can't think of another player more suited to that kind of play.

now if its a 2 mile race down the canal then maybe he's not your guy.....

 

[espo*]

Skating school for Crosby? Sorry,i've heard it all now.

 

[JayRice66]

The guy really doesn't have a weakness. Granted, hes not the tallest, hes not the fastest, he doesn't have the hardest shot. But he does everything well. Thats why he is considered to be the best in a long time. Guys like Kovalchuk, Ovechkin, Spezza, and more all had special skills and features in there games. Crosby has the total package.

 

[Big Phil]

Yeah I've seen Crosby do everything. Split the D, backcheck, throw a good bodycheck. Remember the bodycheck he threw on Ovechkin at the WJC? And watching him play you see his speed, his playmaking ability, his work in the corners and his strength. He's the whole package. At both WJC he put up very good point totals on a stacked team too. He put up 135 points in his rookie season and 168 this year. He also had 11 points in the Memorial Cup in 5 games. He scores at every level no matter what. Maybe he wont hit 100 points this year but he'll eventually win the Art Ross, Hart and Rocket Richard Trophy even IMO.

 

[revolverjgw]

If Crosby can't get close to 90 - 100 points in his first season in the new NHL (no 2 line passes and all), then I don't think he'll ever live up to the hype.

Hardly. Lemieux only got 100 points in his rookie season, and that was when everybody and their mother got 100 points. Nowadays a rookie Lemieux would get 75-80. Crosby doesn't have to put up numbers like 99 or 66 used to.

Edit- I think I misunderstood you. Maybe some people who can't put numbers in context will think Sid will be a bust if he can't 100. That's unfortunate.

 

[octopi]

His real weakness: Like Samson's hair, its what is taken awayfrom him...
so....his jersey

Sorry, sorry, sorry sorry....

 

[Masao]

After tonight, I'd say his weakness has got something to do with dryers...

 

[Le Golie]

After tonight, I'd say his weakness has got something to do with dryers...

He's no more than an 8B HF rated prospect after that performance.

 

[Jack Canuck]

After tonight, I'd say his weakness has got something to do with dryers...

29 GMs are pushing to have the the nets changed to resemble dryers.

 

[egger66]

I believe the biggest adjustment will be playing for a team that finished in dead last in the East with a 23-47-8 record before the lock out. He will be at center stage with a team that is re-building. Has Sidney ever played for a losing team ? He has always played with teams full of talent. I believe his game will progress as fast as Pittsburg can re-load.

Huh? When he was drafted by the Oceanic, they were the laughing stock of the Q. How do you think he got there? The worst team in the Q had the first draft pick of midegts.

 

[someguy44]

29 GMs are pushing to have the the nets changed to resemble dryers.

Wouldn't that ruin his shot accuracy since he only got 1/3 shots. Oh wait. 1/3 translates to 33.333333 %, which is pretty damn good in the NHL. Better for them to switch the nets to washers.

 

[JayRice66]

Huh? When he was drafted by the Oceanic, they were the laughing stock of the Q. How do you think he got there? The worst team in the Q had the first draft pick of midegts.

Oceanic really dropped off after Lecavalier and Richards left. Which like you said, thats the reason Crosby played for them.

 

[Oilerfan120582]

OK

People criticize his size, but he's about the same size as Yzerman or Sakic.

People try to devalue his junior hockey achievements by comparing his numbers as a 16/17 year old to the numbers of junior players who were 19/20 years old and playing in a much more offensive league.

People are criticizing his skating now too. Well, he may not have the highest top speed, but he accelerates as fast as anyone, and can turn and stop on a dime. Kind of like that guy named Peter Forsberg. He a decent hockey player right?

And finally, people have totally unrealistic expectations. 90-100 point in his first season or he's a bust??! Insane. Mario got 100 in his first season, but he was a year older and the league was a lot more offensive. Take those two things into consideration and 60-70 points in his first season would keep him on par with the all time greats.

I think Crosby has the potential to be as good as Lemieux and Gretzky, but that doesn't mean I expect him to be that good. That means, in the best case scenario, if everything works out perfectly this is how good he could possibly be. Doesn't mean it will happen, in fact, I think the chances are that it won't. But if he "only" ends up being as good as Yzerman or Forsberg, he is not a bust.

 

[espo*]

I think people are concened about his size due to the type of game he plays,which is(though not limited to) a game where he engages in cycle orientation a lot.To that end,i question his sucess at that at his size also in the nhl.However,it's hardly all he excels at and he is only going to get stronger. If he does only turn out to be a "Yzerman" type player well.......................i should be so lucky.That will mean he will have turned out to be a hall of famer and one of the best to ever play the game.That can never be considered a bust.

 

[mercury]

Shot accuracy when aiming for a drier.

 

[Bolt32]

Wouldn't that ruin his shot accuracy since he only got 1/3 shots. Oh wait. 1/3 translates to 33.333333 %, which is pretty damn good in the NHL. Better for them to switch the nets to washers.

Now, Lets add a goalie

 

[Masao]

Now, Lets add a goalie

Rob Schneider with a cushion?

 

[octopi]

Rob Schneider with a cushion?

Arturs Irbe. That guy is my size.

 

[ComixZone]

If Crosby can't get close to 90 - 100 points in his first season in the new NHL (no 2 line passes and all), then I don't think he'll ever live up to the hype.

Hardly. Lemieux only got 100 points in his rookie season, and that was when everybody and their mother got 100 points. Nowadays a rookie Lemieux would get 75-80. Crosby doesn't have to put up numbers like 99 or 66 used to.

Edit- I think I misunderstood you. Maybe some people who can't put numbers in context will think Sid will be a bust if he can't 100. That's unfortunate.

Not really. Everyone is hyping Crosby to be the next Lemieux or Gretzky. In that case, he should show his greatness in his first year just like Lemieux or Gretzky. Not every rookie in the NHL back in the 80's got a 100 points their first season. I'm estimating that should Crosby be great, he'll score around 90 pts in the new offensive minded NHL. Of course, this is just a guess.

 

[derbyfan]

And at 16/17, Gretzky had 184 pts in 62 games with the Greyhounds. Remember this was back in the low scoring 70's and not the high scoring 80's. /QUOTE]
It was a high scoring era in the OHL. Gretzky didn't even win the scoring race.
As far as prior junior experience Crosby played against older and better
competition much earlier than Gretzky did.

Actually, Gretzky was playing much better competition than Crosby at 14/15.
Wayne was playing for the Vaughan Nationals, Junior "B" in the VERY competitive (back then, anyway) Metro Toronto League. Against players as old as 20.
I don't have his stats available to me right now, but I just finished re-reading his autobiography a couple days ago, and he lit up the league.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Actually, Gretzky was playing much better competition than Crosby at 14/15.
Wayne was playing for the Vaughan Nationals, Junior "B" in the VERY competitive (back then, anyway) Metro Toronto League. Against players as old as 20.
I don't have his stats available to me right now, but I just finished re-reading his autobiography a couple days ago, and he lit up the league.

Don't forcet they are half a year out of "synch". When Sid had finished his first year with Rimouski he was about the age Wayne was starting his first (and only) year of Major Junior.

 

[revolverjgw]

Not really. Everyone is hyping Crosby to be the next Lemieux or Gretzky. In that case, he should show his greatness in his first year just like Lemieux or Gretzky. Not every rookie in the NHL back in the 80's got a 100 points their first season. I'm estimating that should Crosby be great, he'll score around 90 pts in the new offensive minded NHL. Of course, this is just a guess.

I agree (to an extent), Sid should be great from the get-go if he really is all that and a bag of potato chips. I was just retorting to the idea said Sid HAS TO get 90-100 points. It's absurd to EXPECT that as a gauge of ''greatness''. This is a very different league. Even though there's 33% more teams, the talent pool is far better and the mentality is far different. I believe an 18 year old these days has a harder time than those days, because of the different dynamics. If Mario (a year older than Sid) could only get 100 points at the height of the run-n-gun era and people actually expect Sid to get 90 with scoring this low... c'mon, get some PERSPECTIVE.

And this ''new NHL'' business is going to disapoint people. I'd be shocked if we got back up to 6 goals a game.

That said, if Sid DID get your 90 points, I wouldn't be surprised... but I definitely don't expect that.