It hasn’t labored in Pittsburgh. Whereas the Penguins made maybe the offseason’s splashiest transfer by trading for Erik Karlsson, pairing one other surefire Corridor of Famer with the three they already had, they’re nonetheless solely being propped up within the Metro Division by the pointless Blue Jackets. They’re solely three factors out of a wild-card spot, however have a bunch of groups they’d should leap to get there. And making up floor within the NHL is, as Blade as soon as instructed us, “ice skating uphill.” (that line confused me on the time, however I’m glad it lastly got here into use).
However it may very well be worse, and quite a bit worse, if Sidney Crosby wasn’t nonetheless one way or the other enjoying his greatest hockey on the age of 36. He bailed their ass out once more Monday evening after they’d blown a 3-0 result in the Minnesota Wild at residence, banging residence a rebound on the facility play late within the third interval to get the Penguins the 2 factors.
Which has been the story for a lot of the season, 33 factors in 30 video games, which appears metronomic for Crosby, however comes into clearer reduction when eyes are centered barely south to his modern Alex Ovechkin, who has fallen off a cliff to this point this season in his late 30s. However Crosby’s season is about greater than the headline numbers.
Whereas averaging barely much less time than in earlier years (all stats from NaturalStatTrick.com), Crosby is rocking his greatest, particular person anticipated targets per 60 minutes of his profession. He’s averaging extra shot makes an attempt per 60 than he ever has and by a long way (18.3 makes an attempt per 60 this yr, his earlier excessive was 16.4 in ‘10-’11). He’s getting extra photographs on objective per sport that at any level in his profession. And as well, extra scoring probabilities and high-danger scoring probabilities per sport since his rookie season. That’s a 36-year-old producing higher probabilities and extra of them than he ever has, which simply doesn’t occur in hockey.
None of it has come on the expense of his protection, as his relative possession numbers when in comparison with the remainder of his teammates are increased than they’ve been in 4 or 5 seasons. A few of that’s slanted as Crosby has been deployed as merely an offensive weapon for some time now (71 p.c of his shifts begin within the offensive zone), however he actually doesn’t do any backing up. He’s additionally profitable 60 p.c of his faceoffs, if that’s your explicit taste of vodka.
One of many extra superb facets of Crosby’s scoring as of late is simply how various it may be. In response to AllThreeZones.com, Crosby exists in a really particular aircraft with solely Jack Hughes and Artemi Panarin as gamers who’re each dominant off the push and off the cycle/forecheck. Everyone seems to be fairly conscious that Crosby is a demon across the internet, whether or not he was profitable puck battles behind the online to keep up possession or being un-checkable within the slot and banging residence rebounds or tip-ins or slot passes. However at his age, he shouldn’t be one of many league’s greatest in open ice and on odd-man breaks, however he’s. He simply hasn’t misplaced something.
And fairly merely, the Penguins have wanted each little bit of Crosby’s brilliance. They’ve gotten principally nothing from their backside six forwards. For the time being, the underside six forwards that the Pens rolled out final evening haven’t mixed for as many factors as Crosby has by himself. This has been typically the story for the Penguins for some time, the place they preserve shaking the Yahtzee cup on who backs up 87 and 71, and perhaps one or two years it’ll work out they usually’ll be contenders.
The scary bugaboo for the Pens earlier than the season was the goaltending, however it’s really been actually good. Each Tristan Jarry and Alex Nadeljkovic have save percentages over .910, with some pretty glowing saves over expected numbers, too. That hasn’t sunk the Pens in any respect as was anticipated.
The Penguins’ main downside has been largely luck-based. They’ve the sixth-worst capturing share at even-strength within the league, whereas creating the third-most anticipated targets. The story is not any completely different on the facility play, which ought to be a Smash TV weapon, the place the Penguins are creating the sixth-most anticipated targets per 60 and but nonetheless have the sixth-worst capturing share. Ultimately, not less than with the person benefit, extra pucks are going to begin to go in. Evgeni Malkin isn’t going to be caught on two power-play targets for the season for for much longer, one must guess.
Apart from the underside six, the Pens may need to have a speak about what to do with Kris Letang’s pairing. Letang hasn’t pushed the play like he used to in a number of years and this season isn’t a lot completely different. Which leaves Karlsson as the one severe play-driver from the again finish, and the Pens may have one other earlier than the deadline. That, and never having to ice a farting corpse like Jeff Carter anymore.
The Penguins have numerous floor to make up, however the one purpose it’s manageable is that Sidney Crosby continues to be Sidney Crosby. Take a look at the top-20 scorers to this point (Crosby is twenty second) and also you’ll solely discover three which can be even 30 (Kucherov, J.T. Miller, and Panarin). The issue for an previous man like Crosby is he can’t let up if the Pens are going to make up that floor.
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