Penguins Update: Crosby in a League of His Own

Around this time last season, Penguins fans across North America (including yours truly) were all asking the same question.

What’s wrong with Sidney Crosby?

Despite the presence of super sniper Phil Kessel on his right flank, the Pens’ captain was off to the worst start of his career. He’d collected a paltry two goals and seven assists during the first 15 games of ‘15-16. Worse yet, in 10 of those 15 games Sid was completely absent from the score sheet.

At the relatively callow age of 28, it appeared Canada’s most celebrated son was primed for a decline of epic proportions. Unthinkable only two seasons earlier, when Crosby made a clean sweep of the NHL’s major individual awards.

What a difference a year makes.

Since returning to the Pens’ lineup on October 25, Crosby’s been positively on fire. He’s piled up 10 goals and three helpers in just nine games. In stark contrast to his moribund start last fall, Sid’s tallied goals in all but two games, including a trio of two-goal efforts.

Utilizing his exquisite hand-eye coordination, he’s mastered the art of the deflection. A prime example: a recent power-play goal against Minnesota when he redirected a bullet of a pass from Kessel past a stunned Devan Dubnyk.

So what’s changed? How did Sid get his groove back?

Some might argue that he never lost it in the first place. There’s some validity to that claim.

Shackled to a 200-foot game under former coach, Mike Johnston, Crosby often was positioned deep in the defensive zone. A tough place to be when you’re expected to score. Especially in today’s warp-speed NHL, when a millisecond can make the difference between finding the five-hole or clunking a shot off the goalie’s pads. Which Sid did with mind-numbing regularity.

There’s no denying Crosby sprang to life the instant Mike Sullivan arrived on the scene. Since “Sully” took over last December, the Cole Harbour native’s racked up 40 goals and 79 points in only 61 regular-season games. An average of 1.29 points per game. Perfectly in stride with his career average of 1.33 points per game. Well above the 0.98 he averaged with Johnston at the helm.

Indeed, Sullivan’s aggressive, up-tempo approach suits Sid to a T.

An improved supporting cast has helped, too.

In particular, the energizing presence of kids like Bryan Rust and frequent linemate Conor Sheary have sparked a revival of sorts in No. 87. The youngsters have helped rekindle the passion and fire that for so long were hallmarks of his play, while encouraging his emergence as a leader.

Along those lines, GM Jim Rutherford’s savvy retooling altered a black-and-gold mix that had grown decidedly stale. Without switching jerseys, Sid’s been given a fresh start with virtually a brand-new team.

Maturity is another factor. Crosby is aging like a fine wine. He’s evolved into a complete player a la Hall-of-Famer Steve Yzerman, his boyhood idol.

“He plays at both ends of the rink,” Sullivan noted shortly after Sid led the Pens to the Stanley Cup in June. “He’s a great faceoff guy. He kills penalties when we need him to. He plays in all the key situations. I could tell as we went through this postseason that he knew that our team had something special. He was going to will this thing.”

Attributes that earned Crosby the Conn Smythe Trophy. And placed him in a league of his own.