When did Crosby stop being the best player in the world?

When did Crosby stop being the best player in the world?


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daver

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Apr 4, 2003
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I don't think there is much of an argument that Crosby wasn't still the best player in the world after the 16/17 season despite McDavid winning the Art Ross, Lindsay and Hart. Crosby missed a few games but was still as productive as McDavid while being a much better 2-way player while dominating the World Cup and winning a 2nd Conn Smythe.

When do you think he lost the title, if at all?
 

MartinS82

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May 26, 2016
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I'm saying after the 16/17 season. He won the Rocket and his pacing stats were pretty close to McD (he missed 7 games) that year. Not saying he was better, but a valid case could be made still at that time. Crosby won the Smythe (his good one) while McDavid had a subpar (for his standard) playoff. After that is when McDavid started to separate himself.
 

daver

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McDavid very clearly passed him during that season and hasn't looked back since. The defense narrative for Crosby really started kicking in then as a reaction to McDavid.

How did he clearly pass him? Don't tell me you can't distinguish between raw point totals and PPG?
 

JackSlater

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Apr 27, 2010
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2016-2017. McDavid was better by the end of the year and has been better than Crosby since.
 

bobholly39

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Mar 10, 2013
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After 16-17

You can certainly make the case he still is. One game, one series, one playoffs - no one you take above him. But hockey isnt only about that. Its also about the grueling 82 game schedule and producing year round and i think McDavid deserves that title now as he's youngest and more consistent throughout the year.
 

TheGuiminator

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Oct 23, 2018
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~ At the end of the 16-17 season.

Crosby was outpacing McDavid in points for the majority of the season. But in the last month or so, McDavid just reached another level and never looked back.
 
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authentic

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Jan 28, 2015
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McDavid very clearly passed him during that season and hasn't looked back since. The defense narrative for Crosby really started kicking in then as a reaction to McDavid.

You mean the season Crosby led the NHL in goals while missing 7 games and on pace for only 3 less points than McDavid was when McDavid clearly passed him?
 

3074326

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Apr 9, 2009
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McDavid very clearly passed him during that season and hasn't looked back since. The defense narrative for Crosby really started kicking in then as a reaction to McDavid.

This doesn't make any sense. Crosby scored at basically the same rate and actually is better defensively, that isn't a "narrative." Crosby also led the league in goals. He also won the Conn Smythe and a cup.

It wasn't that year.

McDavid is the best now. I don't think there was a specific moment this happened. It happened over time. And Crosby has still shown he is capable of being the best on any given night.
 

GreatGonzo

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May 26, 2011
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2016. That’s when he started falling more out of the scoring race and then his whole defensive game was a reaction to that. The only thing that kept his grace period alive that season was the cup and smythe.
This doesn't make any sense. Crosby scored at basically the same rate and actually is better defensively, that isn't a "narrative." Crosby also led the league in goals. He also won the Conn Smythe and a cup.

It wasn't that year.

McDavid is the best now. I don't think there was a specific moment this happened. It happened over time. And Crosby has still shown he is capable of being the best on any given night.
The defensive narrative definitely started when McDavid started coming up and it most certainly was an agenda to keep Crosby as the number one player, but McDavid was clearly better that year just like Kane was clearly better the year before. Him winning his cups and smythes only canceled out the regular season and became the main focus because it was the only “evidence” they had.
You mean the season Crosby led the NHL in goals while missing 7 games and on pace for only 3 less points than McDavid was when McDavid clearly passed him?
On pace =/= actual production.
How did he clearly pass him? Don't tell me you can't distinguish between raw point totals and PPG?
McDavid had a higher PPG while having more points in 2017...
 

TomasHertlsRooster

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May 14, 2012
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McDavid very clearly passed him during that season and hasn't looked back since. The defense narrative for Crosby really started kicking in then as a reaction to McDavid.

No, it started kicking in as a reaction to substantial evidence that Crosby had become one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL, which went hand in hand with substantial evidence that McDavid had become one of the worst defensive forwards in the NHL.

24-D8-AAD6-273-C-4-A40-9-FD9-8-D7-A5-F6-FA467.png
 

Sidney the Kidney

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Jun 29, 2009
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No, it started kicking in as a reaction to substantial evidence that Crosby had become one of the best defensive forwards in the NHL, which went hand in hand with substantial evidence that McDavid had become one of the worst defensive forwards in the NHL.

24-D8-AAD6-273-C-4-A40-9-FD9-8-D7-A5-F6-FA467.png

Crosby seems to be the only player in hockey whose "defensive metrics" are ignored because of HF's narrative that he's still below average defensively.
 

Bounces R Way

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Nov 18, 2013
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Talk to me when McDavid captains a team to a Stanley Cup or an Olympic gold. Hockey is a team sport, those accomplishments will always weigh more to me than an individual's point per game.
 

Regal

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Mar 12, 2010
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Crosby was great at the World Cup then started the year great but tapered off a little toward the end. I think it was pretty close between the two of them in terms of per game that season, but the thought was that after Crosby's previous couple years, this wasn't the norm for him anymore, and that McDavid was likely going to be better from that point forward, though most people still preferred Crosby going into the playoffs. I'd say partway through the following season it became obvious this was the case, and was solidified by the end of the year after McDavid got hot to close out.
 
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