Crosby outscoring last year's Conn Smythe performance
Sidney Crosby was the playoff MVP a year ago on the back of six goals and 13 assists in 24 games.
Flip the calendar a year later and the Pittsburgh Penguins captain has already scored seven times this postseason, doing so in eight fewer games as he picked up the elusive tally Sunday against the Ottawa Senators.
The goal was one of two points Crosby recorded in Game 5, bringing his total to 19 in the playoffs, tying last year's output. It also marks the third-highest playoff production of Crosby's career, after he scored 27 and 31 points in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
This spring, Crosby is the playoffs leading scorer behind only teammate Evgeni Malkin, which bodes well for possible back-to-back MVP honors. He finished tied for sixth in scoring en route to the Conn Smythe last year.
Now one win away from his fourth trip to the Stanley Cup Final, Crosby has saved his best goal-scoring performance for the Senators:
| Opponent | GP | G | A | P | G/GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Jackets | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0.40 |
| Capitals | 6 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 0.33 |
| Senators | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0.60 |
In Game 4 against Ottawa, and down 2-1 in the series, Crosby first set up Olli Maatta for the game-opening goal before putting the Penguins ahead by a pair midway through the second period. Pittsburgh went on to win 3-2, and Crosby's performance wasn't lost on his coach.
"(Crosby) was really inspired, and when he plays that way he's tough to handle and he inspires our group as well," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan told reporters. "For him to continue to play the inspirational game that he plays, I think is indicative of how badly he wants to win.
"He's probably the fiercest competitor that I've been associated with in the game ... He's got an insatiable appetite to be the best."