why do people say Crosby isn't flashy?

[Turin]

Not as quick as someone like Kane, McDavid, Kucherov, etc.

His shot isn't as hard as Laine or Ovechkin.

He's never been an extremely fast skater.

Ever seen his go-pro stickhandling vid? His hands are/were not any worse than those guys he just uses them differently.

Also define “extremely fast” because he used to be able to split defenses quite frequently.

 

[GodEmperor]

Crosby is just pure perfection all around







Sidney Crosby Dangles

To me Crosby is Kasparov/Carlsen which is to say he can do all the things the more "beautiful" players like Ovie and Kane can, but he also is "theoretically perfect" as well.

Crosby doesn't "need" to be "flashy" because he can beat you in every other way and beating you in every other way allows him to be flashy when he needs to.

 

[North Cole]

He’s unquestionably one of the best to play the game ever? Is that not enough?

I mean seriously, what other adjectives do you need?

I mean, where do we start....
drop the "one of"...
You must also recognize he has the best hand-eye of all time
Release is generational
Supreme Edgework
Physical down low board beast
Protects the puck like a secret service agent -> OOCrosby
He is a work horse
Captain clutch for Canada
Hardest quality of competition all time
Lives and breathes hockey as the Prodigal Son
PPG legend

Need me to keep going?
Excerpt from 300 (from a stone tablet left at Karnak, c.400BC)
"Crosby conquers and controls everything he rests his eyes upon. He leads a team so impressive, it shakes the ice with its domination. So vast, it drinks the Gatorade dry. All the God-King Crosby requires is this: A simple offering of earth and water... a token of Boston's submission to the will of Crosby."

In all seriousness.. He is really really good! Unfortunately for some reason, if you don't attach every superlative to his name, you have done him a disservice. Pretty annoying tbh.

 

[North Cole]

Ever seen his go-pro stickhandling vid? His hands are/were not any worse than those guys he just uses them differently.

Also define “extremely fast” because he used to be able to split defenses quite frequently.

Players were slow then, different Era. Hockey has changed a lot (every nostalgia critic ever)

 

[DearDiary]

It's because he's not lighting fast, doesn't have amazingly quick hands, and doesn't have a super hard shot.

Crosby is a faster skater and has quicker hands than Malkin. Are you going to argue now that Malkin isn't flashy?

 

[PAZ]

Most of the goals Crosby scores aren't flashy. He goes for the simple plays because he's an athletic freak and doesn't have to do flashy plays to accomplish the same thing.

 

[Tomas W]

He is sneaky flashy. I think he doesent really aim at beeing flashy, he doesnt do a flashy move just show of, he does it if it happens to suit the situation.

In that way he can look like a meat and potato player in some games.

 

[Turin]

Players were slow then, different Era. Hockey has changed a lot (every nostalgia critic ever)

I’m talking about as far back as 3 years ago

 

[W75]

Because Crosby is a complete, effective player that does it all and understands the dynamics of the game. In my ears (non english / non-youngster) word flashy has a negative side too. It's like flashy often comes with a 'but'.. He's flashy but can't defend. Flashy but lazy. Flashy but cheats..

If someone wants Crosby being flashy and whiny, so be it. Whatever makes people happy.

 

[North Cole]

I’m talking about as far back as 3 years ago

Ancient history, the game waits for no man. In 3 or 4 years, Connor McDavid levels of speed will be the average. Human anatomy, we are always evolving. Trending up my friend. Don't be nostalgic.

 

[BackWithaVengeance]

Even Flyers fans "accept" his highlight-reel moves/goals. If there are some calling him not flashy it's probably a handful, so whatever.

 

[Saku11]

the people who think is game isn't flashy enough apparently think stationary one-timers from the same spot on the power play is exciting.

Same people think spraying snow on little kids face, breaking fans cameras and claiming theres a league wide conspiracy against you is "having a great personality"

 

[BleedBlue14]

Crosby is not considered flashy due to him being so dynamic yet so smart hockey wise at the same time. He also has grown into a style of hockey which is more beneficial to him/ the Penguins now.

Sid can be flashy if he wants to, the thing is he doesn't need to. He's not a player that relies on beating players 1 on 1. Or dangling through the defense. Or sitting in front of the net deflecting the puck. He does all of it. Therefore, he's not considered flashy because of this.

 

[daver]

Crosby's strength is making simple plays better than anyone and at making difficult plays look simple. His IQ and anticipation also allows him to make more plays as does his possession game.

It's not as flashy but it's been the most effective and productive over his career.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

Because McDavid exists.

 

[Legionnaire]

"Flashy" is used by old school guys as an insult. I remember people saying that Mario Lemieux was too flashy for his own good and someone was going to tune him for it. Old school guys always think it's better to punch someone in the face than hurt someone's feelings, and being flashy reminds the fourth line grinders they probably shouldn't be playing at this level. Flashy also tends to goto Europeans and players they think play poor defence. Crosby is good at defence so he isn't called flashy. But like "character" and "grit" and "superstar" it's a meaningless term that everyone has their own meaning for.

How is this post either fair or accurate? The only part that really rings true is the part about Crosby being a good defensive player. And guess what? He was totally critiqued for not "putting up enough points" despite the fact that his defense was a major reason why the Pens have won the last two Cups.

No. There is being a team player, and then there is playing as an individual. Flashy, for the sake of being flashy is useless. There are far more "flashy" junior players not in the NHL because they never understood the team concept.

As far as the punching thing goes...what? Hurt someone's feelings? Huh? They do that stuff because you are talking about grown men who are highly competitive and who will and have done most anything to win.

There is one tried and true way to play against skill players and that is physically. There is a reason why Gretz and Mario ended up with back issues and it wasn't because they fell off of a ladder while painting a house. No. They played against highly competitive players like Suter or Stevens or Kasperitis who would rather maim you than lose.

...Except for Lidstrom on Lindros. He was the perfect counter for Lindros' physicality.

 

[TopShelfYzerman]

Some of these comments just sound like ppl are drawing lines from a hat, they sound like pure guesswork and an attempt to sound smart. Crosby isnt flashy, he is quick witted, and relies more on iq.

 

[Diamond Joe Quimby]

He’s plenty flashy on the ice.

Personality is about as interesting as a dry wetnap though. Perfect for the NHL.

 

[Sentinel]

Because he isn't flashy. No personality (other than his childish antiques "way back when"). Very efficient, very boring.

 

[Fear the Wushu]

maybe less flashy in the sense that he will use the most probable play that leads to success.

Sid has all the skills in the world, if he thinks flicking the puck in the air and hitting it through your legs is the highest percentage play, he'll do that. If he thinks just a toe drag is the best play he'll do it.

Watching Sid play period, is flashy. The guy doing nothing except protecting the puck in the corner is flashy.

That is false. Sid does not have all the skills in the world. He's pretty much elite at everything but his wrister and slapper leave a lot to be desired. His shot is not even close to guys like Ovi or Kovalchuk. Also, he's not one of the best open ice skaters out there either, I'd consider a bunch of guys before Sid in that category. Almost everything else he does is elite though.

 

[CanadienShark]

Probably because he's so smart. He doesn't have to go for the big dangles if he can make a smart chip play for example. He's perfectly capable of embarrassing anyone one on one, but is so good he doesn't have to rely on huge dekes that may or may not help him.

 

[CanadienShark]

Malkin is like a fine picasso painted in the heat of passionate love making.
Sid is like watching an old man try to paint a deck with nails sticking out of it everywhere.

The deck with half burnt out Christmas lights that he's "leaving up for next year."

That's where flashy comes from.

 

[Pantokrator]

he seems to score highlight reel goals all the time, constantly topping himself week after week with jaw dropping plays

yet people say he isn't flashy, what the hell is flashy if he isn't flashy?

I don't think he is flashy because he doesn't need to be. Crosby will always try to make the smart play. If there isn't one, he can make the flashy play. I think of that play when he scored off of Lundqvist's mask. I guarantee he doesn't try that if he has an open man in front of the net. I think of Crosby as incredibly efficient. I think that is greater than flashy. When I think of a flashy player, I interpret it to mean a player who intentionally tries to make the easy play look difficult - like Kovalev, or a player who has to beat an entire team to score because his team is bad and he doesn't have any help - Lemieux in the mid 80s.

Crosby's goals of late don't seem to me flashy, rather he is scoring by reaction, which just shows his fantastic abilities. I guess it comes down to how you define "flashy".

 

[Saku11]

That is false. Sid does not have all the skills in the world. He's pretty much elite at everything but his wrister and slapper leave a lot to be desired.. .

Bullshit that he hasnt elite shot. Contrary to popular belief start looking at his goals."garbage goals" are in minority most of them are actually verry accurate shots. Sid has top 5 shot arsenal in the league easily imo.

 

[Trap Jesus]

I think the main reason is that the guy he's been compared to since day 1 is the prototype for being a flashy player. Say what you want about there being no Crosby vs. Ovechkin debate, but you can't think of one without the other.

Ovechkin hits everything you'd look for in a flashy player: speed (and the fact that his short, choppy strides give it the impression that he's even faster than he actually is), dekes, snipes, general focus on goal-scoring, big hits, even celebrations if you want to go that far. Crosby is a far more cerebral player in general, but the comparison that was always pushed made it feel like he was just a brain on skates.

Realistically, Crosby is flashier on a more consistent basis than anyone, it's just more subtle/nuanced. He's also more economical/efficient than anyone offensively, but that doesn't mean it can't be flashy as well. The things he does with his skating/footwork, passing and puck protection alone are very flashy, but he's not known for the big splash plays like big hits or snipes, which is what most think of as flashy.