Sidney Crosby keeps it real about his "natural" playmaking capabilities over shooting despite approaching 600 career goals

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Nov 07, 2024 05:19 GMT

Sidney Crosby is only two goals short of achieving 600 career goals. This is a big thing for Crosby especially because his style of play allows him to make more assists than score goals. That does not mean he is not a good goal scorer. Crosby can find his way into the net from any angle on the rink. He is the definition of a complete player apart from being a great leader.

Crosby scored his first NHL goal in his third game on Oct. 8, 2005, during a scrappy moment. It was a power-play goal against the Boston Bruins. Rather than relying on a big shot, Crosby used his positioning around the net.

After Mark Recchi passed him the puck, Crosby was in the right spot to tap it in. It wasn’t a flashy goal, but it was definitely scored with precision.

"I like to score goals, it's something that I take pride in, but I don't think it's naturally something that I have," Crosby said (via NHL.com). "I don't have the hardest shot, but I trust my shot and I try to be accurate with it. I wouldn't say I'm someone who just patrols the slot looking to be that trigger guy and rip it. I take pride in scoring, but naturally I'm more of a playmaker."

Crosby’s ability to score is more about precision than power. He excels at reading the game, positioning himself for rebounds and using his backhand to score in tight spots. Recchi, who played with Crosby early in his career, also praised Crosby’s willingness to go to those high-traffic areas.

"He just keeps on going...," Recchi said. "It's really fun to watch. It's up to him how long he wants to play with the way he takes care of himself and how good he is. To continue to score like this and get to this number, it is amazing."

Crosby is still one of the league’s best players, scoring consistently even after two seasons without a playoff appearance for the Penguins.

Sidney Crosby leads Penguins amid challenging season start

Sidney Crosby is working hard as the Penguins face a rough start to the 2024-25 season. He has six goals and nine assists in 14 games, just behind team leader Evgeni Malkin. Crosby is now on a four-game point streak, showing he’s still a key player for Pittsburgh.

The Penguins are currently 5-7-2 and rank fifth in the Metropolitan Division. Crosby, signed on a two-year, $17.4 million extension through the 2026-27 season, is focused on helping his team improve.