This season a lot of talk has centered on Malkin and his ascension to the best player in the NHL. Crosby, who only two seasons ago was the MVP has been eagerly pushed aside as the media pronounces Malkin/Ovechkin as the best player(s) in the game.Messageboards have also leaped to the conclusion that these two had surpassed Crosby.
But why?
(note: Gretzky/Lemieux stats are readjusted to compare to modern scoring rates)
If you compare the impact of the three players during the same periods of development Crosby is equal if not ahead of both Ovechkin and Malkin.
Although as a 20 year old he suffered an injury that cost him a 1/4 of the season, his production was ahead of both his peers.
As 21 year olds Crosby is once again the equal of Ovechkin and significantly surpasses the numbers of Malkin. Yet people continue to compare his development to a 23 year old Ovechkin and a 22 year old Malkin.
As 21 year olds Crosby is once again the equal of Ovechkin and significantly surpasses the numbers of Malkin. Yet people continue to compare his development to a 23 year old Ovechkin and a 22 year old Malkin.
Even when you analyze the 2009 series Crosby's numbers compare favourably. Those numbers offer little difference between the three superstars. So why the rush to annoint Malkin as superior?
With Ovechkin and Malkin's breakout season's coming at 22 I am interested to see how Crosby fares next season. I would not be surprised to see Crosby find another gear and provide the media with another angle to overexpose and under research.
2 comments:
The Media wants to play it up and turn it into Shaq/Kobe 2.0.
If you asked me who is better I'd say "ask me in 5 years" clearly Crosby was better a couple years ago, Malkin was better this year. Overall they are both top 3 players and picks in fantasy pools everywhere that have room to get better.
I think the best part about this is that there doesn't seem to be any dischord between Malkin and Crosby. I just hope they keep them together long enough for both to reach their full potential
Bingo.
That is the point I was making. The difference is razor thin, to declare Malkin better is extremely premature and based upon analysis at the base of your nose.
Here is a tip to the media, there is this thing called a neck, and if you swivel your head the view changes.
Basing opinions on what is happening today has one problem, it changes everyday.
So I step back, looked at their complete body of work and offered what I thought was a sensible conclusion. If this was a 100M race it would be at the 25M mark, you cannot declare a winner before 70-80M, so to do so is folly.
But don't tell Ovechkin/Malkin fans that.
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