Tribute Which Half of Crosby's Career was the Best for his Legacy?

[backtobackplus1]

We all know Sidney Crosby's career has many "What if's?". So I thought i'd split up his career in two sections. I figured the first section would be his rookie year (2005-06) to the lockout year (2012-13) where he broke his jaw and missed 12 games. The second section is 2013-14 to 2022-2023, where he has been relatively healthier.

2005-06 to 2012-13 Seasons

Regular Season Playoffs

Games Played: 470 82
Goals: 238 40
Assists: 427 65
Points: 665 105
Points Per Game: 1.41 1.28

1 Art Ross
1 Hart
1 Rocket Richard
1 Stanley Cup

2013-14 to 2022-23 Seasons

Regular Season Playoffs

Games Played: 720 98
Goals: 312 31
Assists: 525 65
Points: 837 96
Points Per Game: 1.16 0.97

1 Art Ross
1 Hart
1 Rocket Richard
2 Conn Smythe's
2 Stanley Cups

Click to read more...

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

Post injury for sure.

Pre 2013-14
Scoring finishes 1,2,3,3,6
Hart 1,2,3,

Post
Scoring finishes 1,2,3,3,5 10,10
Hart 1,2,2,2,4,5

 

[Turin]

100 pts as an 18 year old.
Art Ross/Hart/Lindsay as sophomore.
Finals in his 3rd season, 1st as captain, leading playoffs in points.
Won Cup in 4th year as youngest captain to do so against the team who won year before.
Won Rocket Richard despite not being known as a goal scorer previously and scored Golden Goal in 5th season.
Then the natural progression happened in the 6th season where he just separated himself from every other player offensively by a lot.

Crosby was a Hall of Famer after five seasons and had a storybook career arc we might never see again. I have to say the first half despite the fact that he was screwed out of his peak seasons. The fact that he went no playoffs -> playoffs as alternate captain -> finals as captain - > wins the rematch and Cup as youngest captain is just stupid.

 

[Freeptop]

He was already a sure-fire Hall of Famer after that first half.

His second half has not only cemented him as a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but put him inside the top 5 of all time for plenty of people, and definitely inside the top 10 for anyone who doesn't have an axe to grind.

So, I'd say the first half was the best for his legacy, because that set the standard and the expectations for him. The second half was really just further solidifying his already stellar reputation.

 

[Peat]

Might as well ask which side of the Sistine Chapel is better.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Second half shows the talent was real

But the trajectory young sid was on would have eclipsed where he is now but the damn injuries

 

[Empoleon8771]

I don't think it has to do with individual accomplishments as much as it does with cups. Without those 2 back to back cups, I think there would be a vocal part of hockey fans that talk down Crosby's career in a similar way that McDavid gets talked down due to his lack of cup wins. Crosby winning those 2 cups completely demolished any sort of reasonable argument that could be made against him being a top-10 player of all time. Crosby's legacy was likely safe before them, but the last 2 cups cemented his legacy.

 

[spcastlemagic]

Crosby burned so incandescently bright in the first half it was kind of unreal. Young phenoms are exciting in sports in ways that older players can’t be I think. There’s a sense of the unknown of what this brilliant player will do next. I’ve never really seen anybody do those kamikaze sliding redirect goals quite like that ever since.

In the second half he demonstrated a consistency and depth of the game - this is the best guy in hockey in every way that matters, his commitment to winning so absolute it borders on religious devotion. The generation of players who grew up watching him started to filter into the game and it revealed him to be one of the rarest of things - the positive sports role model.

Once in a lifetime player folks, enjoy it while it lasts. I’m a Penguins fan so I don’t have to choose an era, I got ‘em both and will never let go!

 

[ChaosAgent]

First half.

First half = McDavid but with a Cup
Second half = Toews

Yeah, first half.

 

[Gurglesons]

I don't think it has to do with individual accomplishments as much as it does with cups. Without those 2 back to back cups, I think there would be a vocal part of hockey fans that talk down Crosby's career in a similar way that McDavid gets talked down due to his lack of cup wins. Crosby winning those 2 cups completely demolished any sort of reasonable argument that could be made against him being a top-10 player of all time. Crosby's legacy was likely safe before them, but the last 2 cups cemented his legacy.

Crosby won a cup. McDavid has not. If he didn’t have the two he’d probably have more
Individual hardware tbh

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Sid's a top-4 player all time imo, behind Mario, Wayne, and Orr. Between generational talent at an individual level and career accomplishments NHL and international.

First half was definitely individual centric, and he was robbed of several years of his absolute prime due to injuries. Second half is definitely team centric with the Cups, though the two (debatable) Conn Smythes are impressive in their own right.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Sid's a top-4 player all time imo, behind Mario, Wayne, and Orr. Between generational talent at an individual level and career accomplishments NHL and international.

First half was definitely individual centric, and he was robbed of several years of his absolute prime due to injuries. Second half is definitely team centric with the Cups, though the two (debatable) Conn Smythes are impressive in their own right.

I don't think the Penguins have been all that good outside of the 2 Cups in the second half. Which I know sounds stupid, but it's 2 Cups and like 1-6 in playoff series otherwise.

The first half you had a finals, a conference finals, and 2 2nd rounds. They went deep consistently.

Plus Sid individually was better in 2009 than his Smythe years. His best late career playoffs was 2018.

 

[Gurglesons]

I don't think the Penguins have been all that good outside of the 2 Cups in the second half. Which I know sounds stupid, but it's 2 Cups and like 1-6 in playoff series otherwise.

The first half you had a finals, a conference finals, and 2 2nd rounds. They went deep consistently.

Plus Sid individually was better in 2009 than his Smythe years. His best late career playoffs was 2018.

It’s kind of wild how mediocre this team has been for the majority of Sid and Malkin’s career. Pretty much a testament to the NHL as a sport tbh.

 

[Peat]

I hope the team gets credit for its consecutive playoff appearance streak as time goes by. Partly because I think it was special, particularly given how the NHL is constructed, and partly because it explains a lot about this team spluttering out.

Particularly with Rutherford's stewardship and lousy injury luck.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

I don't think the Penguins have been all that good outside of the 2 Cups in the second half. Which I know sounds stupid, but it's 2 Cups and like 1-6 in playoff series otherwise.

The first half you had a finals, a conference finals, and 2 2nd rounds. They went deep consistently.

Plus Sid individually was better in 2009 than his Smythe years. His best late career playoffs was 2018.

Yeah, but those teams in the first half were some pretty woeful teams carried by generational talents in their prime. To me, that falls under the individual side of things. But I get ya, it's a matter of perspective etc.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Yeah, but those teams in the first half were some pretty woeful teams carried by generational talents in their prime. To me, that falls under the individual side of things. But I get ya, it's a matter of perspective etc.

Right, but doesn't that speak more favorably to the generational talent's legacy?
I don't view 16-17 as a vindication of Sid/Geno. They didn't need it. It is a vindication that the org didn't totally underachieve with them.

 

[Turin]

First half.

First half = McDavid but with a Cup
Second half = Toews

Yeah, first half.

Well at 31 years old Sid scored 100 points AND had Selke level defensive impacts.. so still better than Toews.

 

[Big Friggin Dummy]

Right, but doesn't that speak more favorably to the generational talent's legacy?
I don't view 16-17 as a vindication of Sid/Geno. They didn't need it. It is a vindication that the org didn't totally underachieve with them.

I don't think so. Nobody's looking back at the first half and caring as much that Sid (and Geno) was able to carry a pretty poorly managed and coached team to a couple more 2nd round/conference finals appearances. First half Sid was absolutely phenomenal, don't get me wrong. We all knew early on Sid was genuinely special. But if McDavid doesn't win a Cup, or only wins one, I don't think he'll be looked at in the same tier as Crosby despite (likely) ending up with more points. It's about the Cups/Conn Smythes imo.

 

[Jaded-Fan]

Crosby is 8th all-time in PPG Average.

NHL All-Time Points per Game Leaders

NHL players who hold the all-time record for the most points per game in NHL. All-time points per game leaders for NHL players.

www.quanthockey.com

Considering the much deader puck era that he played in compared to others on that list that speaks volumes.

I remember when he was top five on the list and most at HF said yeah, wait until he hits his 30s. He will drop like a rock down the list.

Didn't happen.

That is why I voted for the second half of his career. Though in truth the vote is for the entire career.

 

[Lara Emily]

Might as well ask which side of the Sistine Chapel is better.

The left side

 

[BusinessGoose]

The left side

My left, or your left?

 

[TheGuiminator]

The first half is WAY better than the accolades/stats indicate

Let's break it down :

2005-06 : has arguably the most impressive rookie season for an 18 years old kid (102 points) as he totally meets any hype and expectation.

2006-07 : Sweeps the awards at 19 years old, living up to the hype again.

2007-08 : Is in a 3-way tie in the scoring race half way throught the season, but gets injured for almost the rest of the season. Leads his team to a Stanley Cup final with a Smythe worthy performance, at 20 years old.

2008-09 : Has a good season (103 points), but slighty disapointing relative to his standards. Takes a step back to peak Ovechkin & Malkin in the playoffs. However, he was the best player in the most hyped series in years (Penguins vs Caps in round 2) and added another Smythe worthy run with 31 points.

2009-10 : Same as 2008-09, good season (109 points), but performs a little bit below his standards. Takes a step back to peak Ovechkin & H.Sedin. Still wins the Rockets with 51 goals. Has an impressive showing in round 1 of the playoffs that would set the stage for the next season

2010-11 : The year Crosby hits another gear. This was his big "signature season" that never happened.

2011-12 : Not much to say about this one, only played 22 games.

2012-13 : Was clearly the best player in the league (rightfully won the Lindsay), but ate a puck in the jaw that robbed him another dominant season. He was probably 2-3 games shy of adding the Hart & Art Ross to his trophy collection.

 

[spcastlemagic]

It’s kind of wild how mediocre this team has been for the majority of Sid and Malkin’s career. Pretty much a testament to the NHL as a sport tbh.

…haven’t we won more than anybody since Sid came into the league? Maybe BOS has more wins (but less cups.). I love that kind of mediocrity.

 

[eXile3]

Dudes been consistent that’s for sure.

 

[pistolpete11]

I think there would have been a lot more 'what if's' if he was forced to retire or turned into a 60-point 2C or something. Maintaining a point per game every season into his mid-30's (and counting) is pretty remarkable....winning back-to-back Cups (and back-to-back Conn Smythe's) doesn't hurt either.