Therrien says nobody in NHL is playing better than Crosby

Therrien says nobody in NHL is playing better than Crosby
Friday, December 15, 2006
By Dave Molinari, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

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Sidney Crosby can't quite decide who is the best player in the NHL.

He figures it might be Atlanta's Marian Hossa, who ranked second in the league in goals and fourth in points before last night.

Or maybe Jaromir Jagr, the No. 2 man in the scoring race before his New York Rangers visited Dallas.

Trouble is, Crosby thinks a case also could be made for left winger Alexander Ovechkin of Washington. Same with Philadelphia center Peter Forsberg, at least when he is healthy. Even teammate Evgeni Malkin.

"There are so many great players," he said yesterday.

But Penguins coach Michel Therrien has a much shorter list of candidates. And it doesn't include any of the guys Crosby mentioned.

Probably because the one name on it -- Sidney Crosby -- is the one who was conspicuously absent from Crosby's collection of contenders.

"There's no doubt in my mind," Therrien said. "There are a lot of good players in this league, but, right now, the way that young man is playing on the ice and focusing on the way he's concentrating is phenomenal. In my mind, he's the best player in the NHL right now."

While rating players is a subjective exercise, it is easier to build a case supporting Therrien's contention than one disputing it. Especially for those partial to by-the-numbers analysis.

Crosby, 19, enters the Penguins' game at 7:38 p.m. today against the New York Islanders at Mellon Arena with 15 goals and 32 assists, good for first place in the NHL scoring race before last night. And Crosby has done all that damage in just 27 games, fewer than anyone else in the top 20.

He ascended to the top spot on the strength of a one-goal, five-assist performance in the Penguins' 8-4 victory Wednesday against Philadelphia, when he joined Wayne Gretzky (twice) and Jimmy Carson as the only teenagers in league history to ring up six points in a game.

Not that such a feat was reason for Crosby to do something outrageous. Like go clubbing until dawn. Or be one of the first 15 guys off the ice after practice yesterday.

"It's a special night, there's no doubt," he said. "But that's something you can think about later on, maybe over Christmas break or after the season. You just want to keep going right now."
In Crosby's case, that means trying to extend a six-game scoring streak, in which he has recorded five goals and 10 assists.

Therrien, though, was quick to say that his praise for Crosby wasn't rooted solely in scoring stats, but in his work all over the ice. He noted the improvement in Crosby's performance on things like faceoffs and defensive positioning that make it possible for him to be relied on in any situation.

"We talk about how many points the guy could get," Therrien said. "But as far as I'm concerned, he's playing as well defensively as he is offensively.

"It's a good thing because he can play against top players. He's at the point now where he's so sharp defensively that you know you're not going to get hurt defensively [by using him]."

Crosby likely will win a few Art Ross trophies as the NHL's leading scorer before he gets a Selke Trophy as its top defensive forward. Balanced as his game is, setting up goals -- and, occasionally, scoring them -- remains his greatest strength. And great motivation to play well defensively.

"When you spend less time in your own end, that's more time you can spend trying to create chances and having the puck," he said.

Therrien has been Crosby's coach for all but the first few months of his NHL career, and no one has a better feel for the nuances of his game. Consequently, his response when asked how, as an opposing coach, he would try to defend Crosby, is revealing.

"That's a tough question," Therrien said, laughing. "Can I have another question, please."

OK, how about this one: Is there any chance that Crosby is peaking at age 19, about a decade earlier than most players?

"He'll get better," Therrien said.

He already has since entering the league in 2005, as frequent linemate Mark Recchi noted.

"He's bigger, he's stronger, he's faster," Recchi said. "Everything. He's more confident. Last year was just a little steppingstone for him. It's incredible, the steps he's taken."

And the ones he's intent on taking in the weeks and months and years to come.

"You have to take what you do seriously," Crosby said. "No matter what you do in life, you have to want to do it to your potential."

Which nobody in the NHL is doing better right now.

(Dave Molinari can be reached at DWMolinari@Yahoo.com. )