Puck Talk with Popchock - Let's Appreciate Crosby's Impact
By Matt Popchock
Normally I'm lucky enough to have the opportunity to share my thoughts on the Penguins through the video blog "Puck Talk with Popchock," which can be seen periodically on this site. With production of the video blog temporarily halted I've had time to watch the team without having to regurgitate my thoughts in front of a camera.
Not that I don't enjoy the respite during a stressful holiday season, but after seeing the Pens systematically dismantle another opponent for an incredible 11th straight win, and seeing Sidney Crosby perform even more magic, I just can't hold my tongue any longer.
As a lifelong hockey fan I've learned to keep streaks, even those of an epic nature, in their proper perspective, because the game is always full of them. For example, the ongoing winning streak is second in length only to the Penguins' NHL-record 17-game run at the tail end of the 1992-93 regular season. That one turned out to be only a prelude to one of the most stunning upsets in Stanley Cup Playoff history. Last season the Penguins enjoyed another early hot streak, winning nine of their first ten contests, but again, it meant nothing, as they looked like a rather ordinary version of themselves when the games really counted.
All good things do come to an end, and with only 30 games gone by in an 82-game campaign, it's not nearly too late for fortunes to change. But there comes a time in sports when it's okay not to think like a journalist, but rather, like a fan. There comes a time when it's okay to put on our black-and-gold sunglasses and just enjoy greatness at face value. This is one of those times.
There is no question Crosby is playing the best hockey of his life right now, even better than the 24-game stretch when he captained the Pens to the Cup. You've probably heard a lot of numbers thrown around in regard to Sid's ongoing 17-game point streak, but there are only two numbers you really need to remember: 23 and 1.
The first one represents Crosby's age. Think about it. The Kid--excuse me--the man has his entire career ahead of him, and he's already proven his dominance over his sport. Lately when I watch him it's as if I've been shoved into a DeLorean and transported back to the year of his birth. In spite of his relative youth, and in spite of playing in a much more offensively difficult era, Crosby is looking like a player from 1987, when his legendary ex-landlord ruled the rink with the same flourish...and the same uncanny stat lines.
The second one represents Crosby's place on the North American sports scene. Right now, in my mind, the best athlete on this continent is not a three-time Super Bowl champion quarterback, not a man with pinstripes and a Louisville Slugger, and neither a Laker nor an ex-Cavalier. Lo and behold, it is a hockey player. Crosby has earned that mantle and earned it cleanly, without any scandals or egocentric tendencies, or a coach videotaping opponents on his behalf. He is what the "best athlete" should be: one who excels at his sport with honor. Furthermore, he's changing the perception of his sport.
Once upon a time, it was just as cool for kids to emulate Mario Lemieux as it was to emulate Michael Jordan. I'm old enough to remember those days, and I'm old enough to recognize those days are once again on the horizon, if they're not back already. They were over when the NHL mistreated its own product. Not even some of the greatest athletes in the world could overcome the thuggery that undermined the game for years, but right now Crosby is making the game watchable for a new generation of casual fans.
His ongoing success is the perfect marketing tool for the league. He's delivering the exact type of offensive razzle-dazzle the cynics have desired, yet he's been perfectly willing to play the rough-and-tumble style that was prevalent long ago to get what he wants, which die-hard fans can appreciate. Everyone is taking notice. Even the Four-Letter Network, which hasn't always given hockey a fair shake, showed longtime analyst Barry Melrose setting down his Ovechkin trumpet to instead toot the horn of Number 87 the other night.
Don't forget the impact Sid is having on two particular teammates either. For quite some time we complained about a lack of scoring capability on the Pens' roster, but while skating on Crosby's line, Pascal Dupuis has played perhaps the best hockey of his career, and recently the same can be said for Chris Kunitz. Both pale in comparison to some of the great players Mario got to skate with, but both have clearly been made better by playing with Crosby.
Streaks may come and go, but with this one Sidney Crosby is elevating his team and putting it on the road to a possible Atlantic Division title and perhaps greater things, while also elevating the NHL and putting it on the road to greater respect at the national level. I suggest we all sit back and enjoy the ride.
For more of the latest news and views on the Penguins be sure to catch the next edition of "Puck Talk with Popchock," coming soon to 937thefan.com, and be sure to tune into the next edition of The Penalty Box with Tom Grimm, Saturday morning 7:00-10:00 on SportsRadio 93.7 The Fan!
