Where do you rank Crosby's 2013 season?

[Luigi Lemieux]

He's getting close to where he was but i think December 2010 was when he was at his peak. There was an aura around his game at the time and he was just scary good. Errey even mentioned during one game whether Crosby should start entering the discussion of best player who ever played the game. Obviously he was just caught up in the moment but it goes to show just how good Sid was playing at the time.

 

[spcastlemagic]

Crosby is just so on right now. Every time he touches the puck it seems like he's doing something skilled, completely thought out, and high percentage. Generates a chance every shift. It's kind of crazy.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

Haha, I remember this really clearly in particular. On the main board there was a thread around the 25 game mark titled something like "Has Crosby regressed?" Then I remember that he scored a hat-trick and added 2 assists for 5 points the very next day. He's been on fire since then.

Crosby must read HF. Even this season, he took off after the thread titles "how close are Tavares and Stamkos to dethroning Crosby as best player in the world?" was posted.

At the time of that thread, I think Crosby was only 2 or 3 points up on both guys. Now he's 10 points up on Stamkos, and a whopping 19 points up on Tavares. Hell, he's got more assists than Tavares has points.

 

[Sonic Disturbance]

You need to find this thread.

After a couple minutes of searching, I haven't seemed to find the exact thread... it might have been part of the Crosby vs. Ovechkin sticky thread that was very active during the time. I did however, find a similar thread a couple weeks before and I found the thread of the 5-point night, it was the hat-trick on hat night. Every since then Crosby has been on a tear.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=701347

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=708649

Edit: Here's the part of the thread I was talking about. Sid was "only" at a PPG pace and was coming off a bad game against the Islanders:
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=700158&page=27

Some good quotes from the thread:

Tavares> Crosby
Need to boot Crosby out of this thread.

Sid loses his man and gets caught looking around while JT bangs in the winning goal unchecked. Horrible play.

Sid leads Pens with goals allowed while on ice with 26 in 26 games.
http://www.nhl.com/ice/playerstats.h...Name=plusMinus
Both OV and Malkin have 12 in 19.
I do not see how people claim he significantly improved his defensive play.
Sure he plays more D, but I do not see more quality.
And Sid is still a NHL leader in minor penalties with 17.

 

[Til the End of Time]

i think he's playing maybe slightly bit worse than in '10-'11 before his injury. it's pretty close though. so this is second best or arguably his best season.

people also underrate his second season. he wasn't as complete a player then, but he was never "bad" defensively. he was so dynamic offensively that season. he's a smarter offensive player now, but that second season was a sight offensively that i don't if he's matched yet, in terms of explosiveness/sheer wow factor.

his '08-'09 season and even the rocket '09-'10 season were kind of lame, to be honest. he seemed much less explosive, slower, and looked too heavy out there. it's nice to have that rocket on his resume but i wasn't super impressed by his play.

i would rank seasons something like

1. concussion season
2. this season
3. art ross/mvp season
4. everything else.

it's also nice to see that crosby is finally starting to touch his real potential. imo crosby has the talent and drive to be a top ten (maybe higher) player of all-time, but injuries and crappy linemates have held him back. he has far too much talent to top out at 120 point seasons, imo.

 

[SirBrad]

He looks like a good one, but playing on a line with Dupuis and Kunitz will make anyone look good.

 

[Coach Travis]

Crosby's game is just so on right now. Every team is doing everything they can to stop him but when they let their guard down for a second, it's in the net. I think if this was an 82-game season you'd see his pace go up as the season went a long and team's began dropping out of contention and players are less willing to fight tooth & nail to stop him. There will be a handful more of those types of games where opponents just aren't as vigilant and Crosby puts up 4 points.

As some have said, the goal scoring isn't quite where it was but he'll find it again. But even without that, I'd say this season and 2010 are neck and neck.

 

[mccoyadam]

Right now hes just the ultimate dish master. Once hes fully back, gets his scoring back, well, lookout NHL.

 

[themethod7]

Agreed. His scoring touch still isn't there. But he's just been unbelievable at creating opportunities for his team every time he's on the ice. If this year's playmaking/creating Sid ever merges with the Sid right before the concussion, look out.

The thing about Sid is he's just so dangerous every game. He may not produce a point every game (though he's been doing that quite frequently recently), but he creates more chances than any other player in hockey, and it's not even close.

One additional thing. I think this has been by far and away Sid's best season as a two-way player. He's not just dominating in the offensive zone, he's been a monster (sorry Pierre) defensively as well. IMO, he's a much better complete player than he was in any of his other huge offensive seasons.

This, big time. Might still be some rust as far as his scoring touch is concerned, but more than anything I've noticed a definite step up in his defensive game, actually reminds me of Stevie Y a bit. I'm sure some will argue that he's not there yet, but I'd say that right now, he's the most complete player in the league; not just competent, but dominating in all areas of the ice.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

You know Sid's playing at another level when even the HF masses, who tend to hate everything Crosby related, concede he's the best player in the league and it's not even close.