CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — Sidney Crosby insists he hasn’t thought about breaking the record for most NHL consecutive seasons averaging a point per game.
Until a couple of years ago, Crosby wasn’t aware that record existed, let alone that Wayne Gretzky had set it.
“No, not really. I can’t say it was one of those ones you heard talked about,” said Crosby, who has 70 points in 65 games this season, putting him on pace to break Gretzky’s record with a 20th consecutive season hitting the mark.
Crosby doesn’t tend to prioritize individual honors over team achievements, so, unsurprisingly, the Penguins’ longest-serving captain wasn’t eager to dig into his pursuit of one of The Great One’s records. Still, after two goals in a win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, Crosby needs only 10 points in the Penguins’ final 15 games to officially make the point-per-game/seasons record his own.
Most consecutive point-per-game seasons
| Player | Seasons |
|---|---|
|
Sidney Crosby |
19 |
|
Wayne Gretzky |
19 |
|
Gordie Howe |
17 |
|
Evgeni Malkin |
15 |
|
Mario Lemieux |
15 |
|
Mark Messier |
15 |
|
Marcel Dionne |
15 |
|
Joe Sakic |
15 |
|
Ron Francis |
15 |
“I’m just trying to go out there every night and play well,” Crosby said after Wednesday’s practice.
He smirked slightly before continuing, a seeming acknowledgment of his bland self-assessment.
“There’s always challenges every year that you go through,” Crosby said. “Obviously, this year with the position we’re in, it’s difficult. But you try to embrace the challenge you’re in, whatever it is.
“You let the points take care of themselves. It’s not different than Alex and what he’s doing.”
That’d be Crosby’s historical rival, Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, who is closing in on arguably Gretzky’s most envied record — NHL all-time goals leader.
Once cold, the Crosby-Ovechkin dynamic has warmed in recent years. Through individual and team battles, the two seem to have formed a mutual admiration and appreciation for the weight they’ve carried as the faces of a franchise and league for a couple of decades. Now, serendipity has brought these icons to the doorstep of NHL immortality. It’s fitting that Ovechkin, whose shot has been the envy of players since he entered the league, could break the goals record in the same season Crosby establishes a new standard for steady production.
Ovechkin scores goals. Crosby puts up points.
It’s what they do, still, after all this time.
“You’ve got to go out that and play the game and trust yourself,” Crosby said. “He’s scored as many as he’s had, so he has to trust the puck will go in. For me, if it’s meant to be, then you earn it.
“But you’ve still got to go out there and play the right way.”
Crosby has made it a priority to watch Ovechkin’s games on TV when time permits, though he hasn’t had much free time lately.
Since arriving in Montreal about a month ago for the Four Nations Face-Off, Crosby has played 14 games in 31 days. He’s looked good doing it, too.
Crosby’s five points at Four Nations tied for second overall with Team Canada’s Connor McDavid. Since that tournament ended, Crosby has six more goals and six assists for 12 points in 10 games with the Penguins.
What happened to the left arm injury that seemed to limit him during the Four Nations tournament and kept him from playing the Penguins’ final two games going into it?
That answer should come once the Penguins’ season ends. Likely to miss the playoffs for a third consecutive year, Crosby will have way too much time to rest, recover and rehabilitate. He’d much prefer gearing up for a postseason run.
Still, riding the high of a Four Nations title, he didn’t want to miss any time once the NHL season resumed.
“Playing at that level, it definitely pushes you,” Crosby said of the Four Nations experience. “The fact that we could keep going is nice. If you get a break after that, you might start to feel it a little bit.
“Sometimes it’s nice to keep going.”
If one of Crosby’s answers ever perfectly summarized what makes him special, it’s probably that one.
