Crosby's Peers Discuss His Goal-Scoring Ability

Mike Sullivan was recently asked if he believed Sidney Crosby was underappreciated as a goal scorer even though he is about to become the second active player behind Alex Ovechkin, and 46th in NHL history, to reach 500 for his career.

"I think we all appreciate what he does every night for our team," Sullivan replied. "I'm not sure I can speak for the rest of the hockey world that doesn't have the privilege to see him as often as we do. But certainly, his numbers I think speak for themselves. The fact that he's approaching that milestone is just an indication of his ability to score goals. That's a lot of goals in this league."
Well, during the NHL All-Star Weekend in Vegas, a number of Crosby's peers around the hockey world did speak for themselves and offered their views on the Penguins captain as a goal scorer. And the consensus was yes, he may be a little underrated around the league in that regard.
"I mean, he's known more as a playmaker, right? So I think his goal scoring kind of slides under the radar," said Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos.
Stamkos is known specifically for being a goal scorer, as it's the superstar sniper's biggest strength, so he certainly knows what he's talking about when it comes to that area of the game. And for the Lightning captain, what stands out the most about Crosby's goal scoring ability is how clutch he is with it.
"He obviously scores some huge goals in some big moments," said Stamkos, who shared the Rocket Richard Trophy with Crosby in 2010 after both players finished with 51 goals. "I think if he wanted to shoot the puck more, he would score more goals. He's got the talent. It's impressive. You see all the records and accolades he's had, and now, 500 goals is a huge benchmark in NHL. For him to be a couple away is pretty impressive, and it's going to be a lot more."
Boston's Patrice Bergeron is someone who also knows Crosby well, as the two of them have not only competed against each other for years - they have also been longtime international linemates for Team Canada. In addition to winning gold medals together, Bergeron has watched as Crosby reached 1,000 points, 1,000 games and soon, 500 goals.
"I'm not surprised. It's pretty impressive what he's been able to do over the course of his career, and now he's close to another milestone, so good on him," Bergeron said. "Always a pleasure to play against, but also to play with him during my time with Team Canada and whatnot. It's always great battles against him."
Both players are lauded for how well they play on both sides of the puck, with Bergeron and Crosby tying for first place in voting for the NHL's most complete player in a poll conducted of nearly 500 NHL players by the NHL Players Association. Bergeron feels that Crosby's overall two-way ability may be what clouds people's perspectives a bit.
"I think he's one of those guys that's seen in so many ways, so many different ways, that it's hard to really say what kind of player he is," Bergeron said. "Because he does everything so well, and has for such a long time. He's a competitor, and he wants to be at his best at all times."
Anaheim's John Gibson has a unique perspective on Crosby in a couple of different facets. As a local kid growing up in Whitehall, the Penguins were Gibson's hometown team. "I don't think I watched any other games than Penguins games," he said. So as a fan, what Gibson admired the most about Crosby is what Bergeron mentioned: his 200-foot game.
"You get a lot of guys that are really good at offense, and he takes a lot of pride in being a two-way player," Gibson said. "I think if you look at him, you're probably thinking he's more of a passer than a goal-scorer. But he's coming up on 500 career goals, he's doing something right. I think he gets a little overlooked from that standpoint."
After being drafted by the Ducks in the second round of the 2011 NHL Draft, the goaltender faced Crosby for the first time on Oct. 9, 2014 in Pittsburgh, where the captain scored twice in a 6-4 Penguins victory. Gibson has gone up against Crosby 10 more times since, and from a netminder's vantage point, staying vigilant any time that Crosby is on the ice is the biggest key.
"I think just from playing him over however many years, you've just got to be ready," Gibson said. "Even if he's in the corner, he might shoot one at you, or if he's on his backhand, you can't take a second off. Just got to always be ready. Wherever he is, you just got to respect him."
Gibson's Ducks teammate Trevor Zegras, the ninth overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft who has been winning over the hockey world with his infectious personality, has nothing but respect for Crosby. It's to the point where playing against him for the first time this season was somewhat of an unbelievable experience.
"He's the best. He was always the best," Zegras said. "I feel like he's been the face of the NHL for 15 years. To get to play against him was hilarious, it almost didn't feel real, you know? There's only a couple of guys like that, and he's definitely one of them."
Crosby has eclipsed the 20-goal plateau 13 times, the 30-goal plateau nine times, the 40-goal plateau twice, and the 50-goal mark once in 2009-10. Whenever Edmonton's Connor McDavid speaks about Crosby, what he always points out is how Sid has constantly adapted and evolved his game ever since he first entered the league back in 2005, with his two Rocket Richard trophies - particularly that one in 2010 - being an example of that.
"I think he came in as a pass-first guy and wanted to get better at faceoffs, and now look at him, he's a great faceoff guy. He wanted to score more goals and he's a 50-goal scorer and a Rocket Richard winner," McDavid said. "He's kind of changed his game as he's gone along, and that's so impressive in itself. And obviously he's won everything there is to win. One of the best to ever do it in our sport."