Sidney Crosby invented a record. It wasn’t there before he did it.
On Thursday at Buffalo, Crosby’s goal clinched him being the first player in NHL history to average a point per game or better in 20 consecutive seasons.
Wayne Gretzky did it for 19 seasons but didn’t do it in his final campaign.
Crosby has done it every year he’s played. He invented a record. It never got noticed till now.
It’s like Mario Lemieux did with five goals, five ways. Nobody had even considered that would happen.
The freshly minted record typifies Crosby’s consistency.
It’s a shame that Thursday’s 7-3 loss to a wretched Sabres team was too typical of the current Penguins. Being on the bad side of a rout doubtless removed much of the occasion’s luster for Crosby.
What’s left to say about Crosby?
He’s not in his prime. But, at 37, he’s closer to his prime than the aging process usually dictates.
The only thing gone is bursting through the opposition with the puck. Splitting defensemen. But everything else is there, from talent to quirks. Crosby’s hockey IQ keeps growing.
Stats keep piling up. So do championships: a gold medal as Canada’s captain in this year’s 4 Nations Face-Off.
Crosby continues to excel below the hash marks, along the boards, on the backhand and with those nutty deflections. He might be the NHL’s best in all those categories.
Crosby remains a creature of habit, as evidenced by him wearing the same jockstrap he’s had since youth hockey. (Celebrities are eccentric, not weird.)
Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin, 39, are still the faces of hockey. That says a lot about them at their ages and a lot about those who can’t wrest away that distinction.
Crosby is still a Penguin. He still wants to win. (Hopefully, those realities won’t remain at cross purposes for too long.)
What’s next?
Maybe Crosby will invent another record. It took a while for us to realize the point-per-game thing.
Will Crosby post a 21st point-per-game campaign next season?
Will Connor McDavid eclipse Crosby in 2036. Or ’37, or whenever it takes? (I’ll be dead or drooling.)
It’s worth noting that Crosby has never had a season where he legit came close to not averaging a point per game. In 2015-16, he had 85 points in 80 games: Five points clear and a mark of 1.06 points per.
