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What makes Sidney Crosby such a dominant force in the NHL

Oct. 23, 2020 at 10:15 p.m.
#1
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Look, I could spend years talking and writing about this but I don't want this to take hours for me to write and for you to read so I'll try to keep it simple. I'll try.

Oh boy, where do I even start? Ok, let's start with the obvious, his intelligence. I know it's basic common sense but really an intelligent hockey player is a good player. 999 times out of 1000. He just makes intelligent plays all the time, which makes him and his teammates better. Cause you see, a non-intelligent player WILL put himself and his teammates in trouble every now and then. I actually have an instance of this with Sid. Idk if you remember but in the 2017 SCF, Subban made a joke that Sid told him that his breath smelled (as if Sid would say something like this). What happened after that folks? Well Sid turned into aa God, I've very very very very rarely seen a player play with such DOMINANCE than Crosby did in the last games of that series, it was phenomenal, he basically won the Pens the cup, not in terms of having 1000 poits per game but in terms of just driving the play.

You see, Sid doesn't do such things. He instantly becomes a better, more useful player with that.

But of course things don't stop there. His leadership skills are well known so I won't talk bout them.

I will however talk about portions of his game that elevate him to the rank of the best hockey player on the planet.

The first thing I want to highlight is his edgework. By that I mean his footwork, his direction changing moves. He's so good at that, he breaks ankle after ankle, makes elite defenders look like complete jokes all the time and all that while not only making himself do crazy things but while also making his teammates significantly better.

The first thing is his puck protection skills. Try getting the puck from him, I dare you. When he's either behind the net or along the boards or all of the above, he's practically impossible to beat. With such dominance at protecting the puck (not to mention his well known play making abilities) he can buy his teammates seconds to get into position to receive a perfect pass from him.

Let's end this by talking about his lower body strength. It's hilarious to see every player trying to be faster than everyone else when there are other ways to do it. Have you seen his lower body strength? He's such a strong player that fighting against him (which is very hard to do, for reason that have already been covered) for puck control, for instance, is a very difficult thing to do. His lower body being as strong as it is allows him to control the play like almost no other player in the world can, it really is crazy.

Take what I've talked about and add his shot release, his vision, his (intelligent) good skating, work ethic and many other things and you've got the best hockey player on the planet. IMO McDvid and MacKinnon aren't in the same league as Sid when it comes to their overall game
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Oct. 23, 2020 at 10:16 p.m.
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 6:27 a.m.
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HutsonNorlinderGuhle
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Puck protection and puck control stick out to me the most. There are a lot of players that are fast, or are skilled, but it takes a true legend to master some of the smaller skills. I’ve seen videos of Crosby protecting the puck from huge guys, and he keeps getting knocked down, and gets right back up. He also knows how to put the puck exactly where his teammates want it, and he never gets poked checked. Never

Not a hot take: Crosby is better than McDavid
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 10:00 a.m.
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Sid is still #1 because of his complete game. McDavid doesn't play D.

I agree with everything you said for sure.
I'll just mention a couple other things (there's so much lol).
-I think Sid is the greatest player on the backhand I've ever seen. Not just his shot although his backhand shots are other worldly sometimes. His touch and control and tape-to-tape passing while on the backhand is stellar.
-Sid has the unique ability of elevating the play of those around him--not just getting others a few extra points. Just get open and Sid will find you in a good spot.
-Lower body strength, puck protection, and edge work all combine to make him one of the best players down low in the league. He prefers to attack with speed off the rush but as he gets older he needs to just get in the zone and cycle down low and pick apart teams defences--because that's when he's absolutely lethal.
-One intangible that can't really be measured is just the leadership and set the bar high vibe he gives off. New players to PIT have to put in the work bc he does.
-He's resilient. no one can say he's not. He's come back from horrible concussions. he's been injured IDK how many times. he takes a beating from D-men when he's around the net. The niskanen hit to the head in the playoffs and I can't remember who literally breaking a stick over his NECK come to mind.
-I could go on and on as he's been my favourite player since I don't know how long. First ballot hall of famer. number 87.
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 10:01 a.m.
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 10:50 a.m.
#6
Hockey God Genius
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Sidney Crosby is Not a Human Being, He was Genetically made from Aliens, He is half Hockey God & 1/4 Perfect Human, & 1/4 Hockey IQ, The water in his body was the melted ice from the very first Hockey game ever, & his blood is all from the left over blood that was on the ice for the last 40+ yrs.
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 12:39 p.m.
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 12:42 p.m.
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Xx_Zegras46_xX
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Quoting: HabsFan9


How bout your guys thoughts on this


Pretty accurate
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 1:02 p.m.
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Crosby has heart and determination above all. In my opinion that’s what has made him the best player in the league until the 2015 draft.
Oct. 24, 2020 at 1:31 p.m.
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I mean, the guy is literally one of the sport's greatest, he's won everything, done everything, makes every single person around him better, is a true leader

He's the quintessential hockey player that every team would kill to have lol
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 1:33 p.m.
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Fanboys make bad Gms
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Crosby vs McDavid is skill vs talent. I'll explain

McDavid does what he does on talent. His speed is natural, his hands are natural. What he does requires minimal thought because it's just there for him when he needs it. Obviously he keeps up with practice and such but he would need to do so less than anyone else because it's a gift, not something he developed as much. Take that for what you will.

Crosby is skill in that he uses levels like most people. he just went farther than anyone else.

If you can't skate well, when you get on the ice, your first thoughts are about balance and moving and speed etc. If you're thinking about those things you can't really focus on other skills you need. Then you get better at skating and the next thing becomes a focus. You learn to do something well so you can think about a new thing and make the last thing automatic. That's Crosby. He works hard. Gets a thing down, moves on. His edges, his hip shifts all that stuff were projects for him as much as shot and vision.

McDavid at 18 with his talent > Crosby at 18 with his.

Crosby at 36 learning constantly will be leagues ahead of McDavid at 36 because Connor just needed less work on his game so he wouldn't think of the levels Crosby did.

So if you want the better natural talent like Lemieux and Orr were, you'd pick McDavid.

And if you want the workhorse like Gretzky was you'd pick Crosby.

Personally I have Lemieux and Orr over Gretzky but I'd call McDavid vs Crosby a toss up. Both arguments are sound.
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 3:10 p.m.
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Quoting: reelkena
Crosby vs McDavid is skill vs talent. I'll explain

McDavid does what he does on talent. His speed is natural, his hands are natural. What he does requires minimal thought because it's just there for him when he needs it. Obviously he keeps up with practice and such but he would need to do so less than anyone else because it's a gift, not something he developed as much. Take that for what you will.

Crosby is skill in that he uses levels like most people. he just went farther than anyone else.

If you can't skate well, when you get on the ice, your first thoughts are about balance and moving and speed etc. If you're thinking about those things you can't really focus on other skills you need. Then you get better at skating and the next thing becomes a focus. You learn to do something well so you can think about a new thing and make the last thing automatic. That's Crosby. He works hard. Gets a thing down, moves on. His edges, his hip shifts all that stuff were projects for him as much as shot and vision.

McDavid at 18 with his talent > Crosby at 18 with his.

Crosby at 36 learning constantly will be leagues ahead of McDavid at 36 because Connor just needed less work on his game so he wouldn't think of the levels Crosby did.

So if you want the better natural talent like Lemieux and Orr were, you'd pick McDavid.

And if you want the workhorse like Gretzky was you'd pick Crosby.

Personally I have Lemieux and Orr over Gretzky but I'd call McDavid vs Crosby a toss up. Both arguments are sound.


this is the most pointless thing on here today.
Crosby is a great player because of talent. His hand eye coordination is off the charts. You can't teach that. No matter how hard you try.
They have two totally different talents. McDavid is pure speed. He's just faster than everyone else. But he lacks the level of hand eye that Crosby has.
McDavid will never be a Crosby level player. He may rack up points, but he'll never develop like Crosby did and constantly improve. If anything, he will slow, other players will get faster, and his leverage as the "best" players will decrease.
If you want to see the next great hockey talent after Crosby Shane Wright is the guy you are looking for.
As for Lemieux vs Gretzky, Gretzky was by far the more skilled player. But he was small, and Lemieux was huge and could just dominate and bully people, which Wayne could never do. Which is what makes him probably the best player all time. No one had to protect him on the ice.
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 3:28 p.m.
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Fanboys make bad Gms
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Quoting: pharrow
this is the most pointless thing on here today.
Crosby is a great player because of talent. His hand eye coordination is off the charts. You can't teach that. No matter how hard you try.
They have two totally different talents. McDavid is pure speed. He's just faster than everyone else. But he lacks the level of hand eye that Crosby has.
McDavid will never be a Crosby level player. He may rack up points, but he'll never develop like Crosby did and constantly improve. If anything, he will slow, other players will get faster, and his leverage as the "best" players will decrease.
If you want to see the next great hockey talent after Crosby Shane Wright is the guy you are looking for.
As for Lemieux vs Gretzky, Gretzky was by far the more skilled player. But he was small, and Lemieux was huge and could just dominate and bully people, which Wayne could never do. Which is what makes him probably the best player all time. No one had to protect him on the ice.


I don't know you but I now know for absolute sure 12000 comments haven't taught you a damn thing about hockey.
Oct. 24, 2020 at 3:30 p.m.
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Quoting: reelkena
I don't know you but I now know for absolute sure 12000 comments haven't taught you a damn thing about hockey.


your watching 5 games and commenting hasn't helped you either.

Only a complete hater would turn around and say something as absurdly ignorant as "Crosby doesn't have talent he has skill"
I hate to break it to you, He's was/ has been the most talented player in the NHL for over a decade.
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 3:38 p.m.
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Strength on skates, working on little things, and mind for the game. I mean I could wrote a paragraph on it by those three things stand out.

Can't knock him off the puck, any weak.points he constantly works on until they're strengths, and you just watch him and he's brilliant. His vision and little plays he makes just show how high his hockey IQ is.

All time I have him 5th. If he didn't have that concussion issues during those seasons where he could've legit put up 130-140 pts I might have him top 4 but that's a hard group to break into. I think his claim!.to fame is going to be playoff performance as he has a legit shot to become the 3rd all time scorer in playoff history.
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 4:33 p.m.
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Quoting: pharrow
your watching 5 games and commenting hasn't helped you either.

Only a complete hater would turn around and say something as absurdly ignorant as "Crosby doesn't have talent he has skill"
I hate to break it to you, He's was/ has been the most talented player in the NHL for over a decade.


I love Crosby and I know no one else would take what I said about Crosby as an insult. He obviously has tons of talent but that's not what defines him.

"You saying he's the most skilled player of this generation means you are a complete hater"

Is basically what you just said
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 5:14 p.m.
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Work ethic and his brain probably defines why he's so talented. Sid doesn't have Patty Kane hands, Ovi's shot, or McDavid's speed. But what he does have is the best hockey sense in this generation or even in the history of the game. How many times have we seen Sid do some ridiculous, innovative stuff throughout his career? This year is was the deflection off the back of the net, there was a period of time where half of the goals he scored were baseball bat like. Plus, he always the hardest worker on the ice and that combined with his hockey sense is a lethal combo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrrsnLjfVjk click on this link
This goal is probably the most impressive feat I've seen Sid do in my 15 years as a fan. Basically Hornqvist makes a hand pass, so Sid's unable to touch the puck. Instead, he waits (and tricks) for Shattenkirk to touch it instead, so he can immediately strip the puck off of him and bank the puck in from behind the net. Just insane, we'll never see something like that again.
Oct. 24, 2020 at 5:16 p.m.
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Quoting: NoWah49
Work ethic and his brain probably defines why he's so talented. Sid doesn't have Patty Kane hands, Ovi's shot, or McDavid's speed. But what he does have is the best hockey sense in this generation or even in the history of the game. How many times have we seen Sid do some ridiculous, innovative stuff throughout his career? This year is was the deflection off the back of the net, there was a period of time where half of the goals he scored were baseball bat like. Plus, he always the hardest worker on the ice and that combined with his hockey sense is a lethal combo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrrsnLjfVjk click on this link
This goal is probably the most impressive feat I've seen Sid do in my 15 years as a fan. Basically Hornqvist makes a hand pass, so Sid's unable to touch the puck. Instead, he waits (and tricks) for Shattenkirk to touch it instead, so he can immediately strip the puck off of him and bank the puck in from behind the net. Just insane, we'll never see something like that again.


Yeah, he definitely has a crazy hockey IQ
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 5:16 p.m.
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Quoting: NoWah49
Work ethic and his brain probably defines why he's so talented. Sid doesn't have Patty Kane hands, Ovi's shot, or McDavid's speed. But what he does have is the best hockey sense in this generation or even in the history of the game. How many times have we seen Sid do some ridiculous, innovative stuff throughout his career? This year is was the deflection off the back of the net, there was a period of time where half of the goals he scored were baseball bat like. Plus, he always the hardest worker on the ice and that combined with his hockey sense is a lethal combo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrrsnLjfVjk click on this link
This goal is probably the most impressive feat I've seen Sid do in my 15 years as a fan. Basically Hornqvist makes a hand pass, so Sid's unable to touch the puck. Instead, he waits (and tricks) for Shattenkirk to touch it instead, so he can immediately strip the puck off of him and bank the puck in from behind the net. Just insane, we'll never see something like that again.


Yeah, he definitely has a crazy hockey IQ
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 5:19 p.m.
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NoWah49
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Quoting: pharrow
this is the most pointless thing on here today.
Crosby is a great player because of talent. His hand eye coordination is off the charts. You can't teach that. No matter how hard you try.
They have two totally different talents. McDavid is pure speed. He's just faster than everyone else. But he lacks the level of hand eye that Crosby has.
McDavid will never be a Crosby level player. He may rack up points, but he'll never develop like Crosby did and constantly improve. If anything, he will slow, other players will get faster, and his leverage as the "best" players will decrease.
If you want to see the next great hockey talent after Crosby Shane Wright is the guy you are looking for.
As for Lemieux vs Gretzky, Gretzky was by far the more skilled player. But he was small, and Lemieux was huge and could just dominate and bully people, which Wayne could never do. Which is what makes him probably the best player all time. No one had to protect him on the ice.


i somewhat agree with this. Sid's game (as proven) will age far better than McDavid's will. He doesn't rely on his speed and hands to produce points. This is why he doesn't really score the super flashy goals anymore. Instead of wheeling by a defenseman and deking another (which he still does on occasion), the highlights you'll see from Sid are the ridiculous passes through 3 guys, bouncing the puck off of other defenders into the net, deflecting the puck off of himself and then proceeding to baseball the puck in the net. They're different players. One of my favorite prospects is Marco Rossi because I see so many Sid-like qualities in him
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 7:10 p.m.
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Core strength, Giant f**king legs. Like tree trunks on that guy
Oct. 24, 2020 at 7:24 p.m.
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Quoting: pharrow
your watching 5 games and commenting hasn't helped you either.

Only a complete hater would turn around and say something as absurdly ignorant as "Crosby doesn't have talent he has skill"
I hate to break it to you, He's was/ has been the most talented player in the NHL for over a decade.


lol that's not what he said at all. The thing that sets Crosby apart from others is his work ethic and how much he continues to learn to change his game. MCD's high skill is just natural and crazy like he said, but Crosby's work ethic in both the offensive and defensive areas is ridiculous. MCD at this point doesn't have that, especially in the defensive game...not even close. MCD also puts himself in potential injury positions a lot too because he is so much faster and fearless when he cuts to the net. I hope that doesn't cost him with serious injuries, but it is definitely a concern. There are not many players who are absolutely elite in the O and D zones and you can't argue that MCD is because he is not. The best example of course is Bobby Orr, but Crosby is one too.
Oct. 24, 2020 at 7:29 p.m.
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Quoting: reelkena
Crosby vs McDavid is skill vs talent. I'll explain

McDavid does what he does on talent. His speed is natural, his hands are natural. What he does requires minimal thought because it's just there for him when he needs it. Obviously he keeps up with practice and such but he would need to do so less than anyone else because it's a gift, not something he developed as much. Take that for what you will.

Crosby is skill in that he uses levels like most people. he just went farther than anyone else.

If you can't skate well, when you get on the ice, your first thoughts are about balance and moving and speed etc. If you're thinking about those things you can't really focus on other skills you need. Then you get better at skating and the next thing becomes a focus. You learn to do something well so you can think about a new thing and make the last thing automatic. That's Crosby. He works hard. Gets a thing down, moves on. His edges, his hip shifts all that stuff were projects for him as much as shot and vision.

McDavid at 18 with his talent > Crosby at 18 with his.

Crosby at 36 learning constantly will be leagues ahead of McDavid at 36 because Connor just needed less work on his game so he wouldn't think of the levels Crosby did.

So if you want the better natural talent like Lemieux and Orr were, you'd pick McDavid.

And if you want the workhorse like Gretzky was you'd pick Crosby.

Personally I have Lemieux and Orr over Gretzky but I'd call McDavid vs Crosby a toss up. Both arguments are sound.


I agree with the first part of what you said--I would have chosen a bit different vocab though. skill and talent to me are fairly similar words but I understand what you're trying to say.
just saying McDavid is more skilled I think is true (although this era is now more skilled as a whole than Sid came into the league) while Sid is more complete. McDavid is great off the rush with the puck but everywhere else Sid is better prob right?? grinding down low, cycling the puck, elevating line mates, playmaking, Defense, etc....

I also have Lemieux, Orr, Gretzky as my top-3... I say fill in the blank at number 4 just now Gordie howe lol and I have Sid at number 5.
I disagree that Sid vs McDavid is a toss up... in terms of NHL rating today that is true...but they are a diff generational player so it's hard to compare. if McDavid started in 05-06 then what happens? or if Sid starts in 2015 then what happens? McDavid got to come in guns blazing with speed and skill and still doesn't have to play D...
Sid is a way more complete player still today even though much older. if McDavid could play some D and turn good D into offense he could be that much better. like Geno he just needs to meet them [coaches] halfway. I doubt he will but...
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 7:31 p.m.
#24
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Quoting: NoWah49
i somewhat agree with this. Sid's game (as proven) will age far better than McDavid's will. He doesn't rely on his speed and hands to produce points. This is why he doesn't really score the super flashy goals anymore. Instead of wheeling by a defenseman and deking another (which he still does on occasion), the highlights you'll see from Sid are the ridiculous passes through 3 guys, bouncing the puck off of other defenders into the net, deflecting the puck off of himself and then proceeding to baseball the puck in the net. They're different players. One of my favorite prospects is Marco Rossi because I see so many Sid-like qualities in him


very true. just bc Sid does't score ridiculous go through everyone solo effort goals doesn't mean he's not way better in every other aspect of the game....
breakaways or on the rush-mcdcvid
everywhere else and every other situation-sid...he's still #1
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Oct. 24, 2020 at 7:32 p.m.
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Quoting: KakkoForMauriceRichardAward
Yeah, he definitely has a crazy hockey IQ


when's the "Why is Evgeni Malkin the most underrated player of the past decade?" post coming?
lol
mr 101...
so garbage he was left off the list...
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