Ryan Wilson: Sidney Crosby rooting for Alexander Ovechkin Sidney Crosby rooting for Alexander Ovechkin

What a heart warming little blog on a sunny Friday morning.

Mutual respect between two all time greats. Nice to see.

need to quantify crosby's love for ovechkin on charts with labeled axes

So which Penguin gets injured first before the season starts?

Given their recent histories, I'm going with ZAR or Zucker.

They're both going to get into the top 25 in total points this season. Hopefully top 20.

I think Crosby will eventually beat Mario in points but not Jagr. That's a long road.

Barring injury there’s no way ov doesn’t get the record.

I just hope that all his goals that he gets are against the other teams, as he's trying to add towards it,"


This is my favorite line from Sid in the interview... i read this yesterday and, to me, it still shows that Sid is about beating them and rivalry is still.alive, not as sharp, but still alive.

They're both going to get into the top 25 in total points this season. Hopefully top 20.

I think Crosby will eventually beat Mario in points but not Jagr. That's a long road.
- coohill

He'll probably pass Mario in total career, but not in points per game.

With the dev camp under way: Is there a single name we can be exited about? Hallander? Our late picks Samuel Poulin & Nathan Legare? Puustinen? G Lindberg?

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13 nationally televised Penguin games announced for 2021-22: https://t.co/SjYVMAjBUI

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Interesting stat from the "DiscoDan years": 2010-11, the year Crosby initially suffered his concussion and neck injury, and then Malkin was sidelined shortly after with his knee injury, Pens still won 49 games and went 21-10-4 in the 36 games without them to end the season.

With the dev camp under way: Is there a single name we can be exited about? Hallander? Our late picks Samuel Poulin & Nathan Legare? Puustinen? G Lindberg?

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13 nationally televised Penguin games announced for 2021-22: https://t.co/SjYVMAjBUI

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Interesting stat from the "DiscoDan years": 2010-11, the year Crosby initially suffered his concussion and neck injury, and then Malkin was sidelined shortly after with his knee injury, Pens still won 49 games and went 21-10-4 in the 36 games without them to end the season.
- VeryModernMan

I'm keeping my expectations low.

I think with all the injuries there's a chance we get to see a few of those guys get a few games before Sid comes back and with this team, who knows what injuries even happen before the season starts.

My best guess is this: Poulin and Legare will need AHL seasoning, but Hallander might be a useful bottom six.

Just a note about Ovechkin and Gretzky:

Ovechkin is the best natural goal scorer of all time, and it's really hard to argue that. And he very well may break Gretzky's record. That being said, Gretzky scored all of those goals while being primarily a playmaker. Take all of his goals away, and he's still the all-time career leader in points. Not taking anything away from OV at all, but Gretzky probably could have put in another 100 or so if he wasn't a pass-first player.

Just a note about Ovechkin and Gretzky:

Ovechkin is the best natural goal scorer of all time, and it's really hard to argue that. And he very well may break Gretzky's record. That being said, Gretzky scored all of those goals while being primarily a playmaker. Take all of his goals away, and he's still the all-time career leader in points. Not taking anything away from OV at all, but Gretzky probably could have put in another 100 or so if he wasn't a pass-first player.
- jmatchett383

My argument for Ovie not being the best ever is Mario and Wayne. I know you'll think I'm being a homer, but when you watch either of them the big difference between them and Ovie is they created scoring chances/opportunities where they shouldn't have existed in the first place. I will say that Ovie has the greatest shot of all time. The fact EVERYONE knows exactly what he will do each time and can't stop tells you how unstoppable it is.

Because hockey is a team sport I think it is almost impossible to be fair when doing comparisons between players of a comparable level. You always need to take the teams the players played for into a account.

For example, in the Lemieux/Gretsky comparison, imagine if they had switched places with Gretsky playing for some of the bad to mediocre Pens teams of the 80's while Lemieux played for some of the all-star teams that the Oilers had then. Their career numbers obviously would have been drastically different.

Likewise imagine if MAF and Brodeur switched places, with MAF playing behind some of the "brick wall" defenses of the Devils over the years and Brodeur playing behind some of the rather porous systems of the Pens over the years. Again, their numbers would have been very different.

Then of course their is the evolution of the game (e.g. rules changes, equipment changes, better player conditioning, etc.) that makes it very difficult to compare players of different eras.

Lastly, there is the issue of positions and you really can't compare a C and a W, for example. Lemieux, Gretsky, and Crosby were/are all centers while Ovi is a wing. As a center it is Crosby's job to be a play maker, so obviously he is going to have more assists and less goals than a top-tier wing. As a wing it is Ovi's job to put the puck in the net so naturally he is going to have more goals and less assists than a top-tier center. A better comparison, for example, is to compare Ovi and Jagr.

No matter how you look at him, though, Ovi is either the best or among the top three wingers all time.

Ovi (frank)ing sucks.

Ovi (frank)ing sucks.
- Blackstrom2

Dare I say.. Ovirated?

My best guess is this: Poulin and Legare will need AHL seasoning, but Hallander might be a useful bottom six.
- Rinosaur

Agree, they will bring Hallander @C, and hopefully one of the prospects will be a late bloomer.

With the dev camp under way: Is there a single name we can be exited about? Hallander? Our late picks Samuel Poulin & Nathan Legare? Puustinen? G Lindberg?

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13 nationally televised Penguin games announced for 2021-22: https://t.co/SjYVMAjBUI

---

Interesting stat from the "DiscoDan years": 2010-11, the year Crosby initially suffered his concussion and neck injury, and then Malkin was sidelined shortly after with his knee injury, Pens still won 49 games and went 21-10-4 in the 36 games without them to end the season.
- VeryModernMan

I'm interested to see what Legare can do. I heard Yohe on the radio the other day making the same point I've been making. He's got a pretty sick shot and isn't easily knocked off the puck. The Pens need someone like that. Maybe he develops into a net front guy. Hornqvist didn't skate well either. I've only seen snippets of Hallander on youtube. From what I've seen from Poulin... He doesn't skate well and he doesn't have a specific skill that stands out. Might be a decent playmaker if given time. Again, very limited sample but he seemed to have problems separating himself from checks.

Ovechkin has no chance to "shatter" Gretzky's record. Beat it by a dozen or so goals? Maybe. But it won't be shattered.

I see Poulin's ceiling (if he were to ever reach it) as like a Brandon Saad. Legare's ceiling maybe like a Sykora but a little more weight.

Ovechkin has no chance to "shatter" Gretzky's record. Beat it by a dozen or so goals? Maybe. But it won't be shattered.
- Kineada11

It would be sick if Ovie could hit 900 goals

Gusev goes PTO to TO. I would of liked to of had him around like that next week. Chance he could excel with Pens IMO. Ah well... Couple of scrubs it is...

I always thought it was weird that Gretz didn't play one more season. He was 6 goals away from 900 and like 47 points from 2000. Maybe he was left on purpose so that the guy that passes him can be the first 900 goal scorer haha. No one is getting 2000 points though haha.

Gusev goes PTO to TO. I would of liked to of had him around like that next week. Chance he could excel with Pens IMO. Ah well... Couple of scrubs it is...
- MattStrat

They are really gonna give the kids a chance. It's pretty much 4 forwards we are watching.

I always thought it was weird that Gretz didn't play one more season.
- 668710

Always wondered whether it was the new Millenium, or missing playoffs again. Still remember his last game and how classy Pens hugged goodbye.

Always wondered whether it was the new Millenium, or missing playoffs again. Still remember his last game and how classy Pens hugged goodbye.
- VeryModernMan

Yea I think because he wore 99 he retired in 1999 haha