NHLPA poll: Crosby most complete player...again.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Lidstrom. No n. It has an umlaut but I can't make one happen.

The extra N is for Norris.

[Jetfire]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

The extra N is for Norris.

So officially there's an extra 7 Ns in his name. Got it.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Jetfire

So officially there's an extra 7 Ns in his name. Got it.

Lnindnsntnrnonm

[Mass_nerder]

The only part of the game I would take McDavid over Crosby in would be the power play.
McDavid will probably top Crosby's career point totals when all is said and done, but Crosby, like Yzerman, adjusted his style of play to be more of a complete player, and sacrificed some offense. I don't think McDavid will ever make that adjustment.

[Ped]

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

The only part of the game I would take McDavid over Crosby in would be the power play.
McDavid will probably top Crosby's career point totals when all is said and done, but Crosby, like Yzerman, adjusted his style of play to be more of a complete player, and sacrificed some offense. I don't think McDavid will ever make that adjustment.

I suspect as much as anyone would hate to admit it, McDavid has become better in his own zone. Even in this poll he finished 4th for Most Complete Player (although well behind Crosby) and 2nd for Most Difficult Player to Face In Their Own End (Insert joke about McDavid's head up his ass here).

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Also interesting to think about where Crosby ranks all time?

Gretzky, Mario, Orr ahead of him.

Is he 4? 5?

Feels like he's possibly a top 5 forward of all time, not sure about to 10 player of all time though. That competition gets stiff after the obvious ones you listed. And even among the forwards, there would be some interesting lobbying and counterpoints.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

The most complete player says Backlund is one of the hardest guys in the league to play against. That’ll do.

Did he really say that? That's funny because I remember very early in his career, he was asked which defenceman was the hardest to play against, and he said Regehr -- and it was so early in his career that he had only played one or two games against the Flames at that point.

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Most surprising result is T-Mobile Arena being voted 6th in best ice.

It's been top-5 every year since they joined the league (they bounced the Saddledome out of the top 5).

It has always been said the worst thing for maintaining good ice is high humidity, so it makes sense the desert would be good for making ice (although Arizona was voted some of the worst ice the one year that was asked).

[Locke]

"Crosby most complete player! In other news, Water...still Wet!"

[Rejean31]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Lidstrom is up there. The short list is probably him, Bourque, Potvin. Makar has a shot.

#### Ray Bourque. He hitched his wagon to Tampa Bay in 2004 giving them a pep talk before game 7. Again #### Ray Bourque.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by OldSam

I'd take Crosby as the one game player too. His desire to win is unbeatable. McBaby wants to be given the win, Crosby wants to be the winner.

Isn't the questions dumb? If you want a player to win one game why on earth would you not pick the most complete player in the league? Sure, McDufus might score 3-4 points to Crosby's 2 in said game, but he won't give up 4-5 ten bell chances and blow the zone early 9/10 times.

It's crazy how little people are talking about Crosby this season considering at 36 he's 19th in scoring with 40G and 86P on a team that is hardly a juggernaut.

[GioforPM]

Players are sometimes dumb in these polls. Player you’d most want to have in one game for a win? Who has won more “must win games” - Crosby or McDavid? I’d say the one with the rings.

[bdubbs]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

Isn't the questions dumb? If you want a player to win one game why on earth would you not pick the most complete player in the league? Sure, McDufus might score 3-4 points to Crosby's 2 in said game, but he won't give up 4-5 ten bell chances and blow the zone early 9/10 times.

It's crazy how little people are talking about Crosby this season considering at 36 he's 19th in scoring with 40G and 86P on a team that is hardly a juggernaut.

Not only the point totals either; I was looking up his faceoff stats and he has hundreds more faceoffs taken than the next highest this season and he has almost 200 more faceoffs than the next closest (Robert Thomas) and far better win percentage. Complete player.

[timun]

I hadn't been paying much attention to the Penguins whatsoever this year, but at the Kipper jersey retirement game the one thing that stood out to me about that team is among all the 'older' guys they've got, Crosby is still a force to be reckoned with. Even though Jeff Carter ended up with a goal that game, he looked like a shadow of the player he once was. Malkin looked okay; Karlsson too, I suppose. Letang was awful and looked washed up.

But Crosby? I remember at one point on the forecheck he singlehandedly kept three or four Flames players hemmed into their own zone so that the Pens could change on the fly, and he looked dangerous as hell. Like a predator stalking prey; like a school of minnows swimming around a shark.

[habernac]

1000th assist on the game winner in OT tonight. Also took 10th spot all time in points from Esposito. Ovi can have the goals, Sid is the man.

[timbit]

Just my opinion…

Orr
Howe
Gretzky
Lemieux
Crosby

Orr with 139 pts, as a D. Before Orr, highest points for a D was 46 points.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by timbit

Just my opinion…

Orr
Howe
Gretzky
Lemieux
Crosby

Orr with 139 pts, as a D. Before Orr, highest points for a D was 46 points.

I put Gretzky a nose ahead of Howe. Both Orr and Gretzky changed how the game was played in significant ways. Howe and Lemieux were the best of their respective generations at playing the game exactly the way it was.

I think Roy belongs in the conversation for the same reason – he changed the game. I'm old enough to remember when kids played pickup games and nobody wanted to be the goalie. Roy not only changed how the position was played, he made it cool.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

I put Gretzky a nose ahead of Howe. Both Orr and Gretzky changed how the game was played in significant ways. Howe and Lemieux were the best of their respective generations at playing the game exactly the way it was.

I think Roy belongs in the conversation for the same reason – he changed the game. I'm old enough to remember when kids played pickup games and nobody wanted to be the goalie. Roy not only changed how the position was played, he made it cool.

Not disagreeing with you. Just trying to figure out who Roy replaces in the top five I proposed.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by timbit

Not disagreeing with you. Just trying to figure out who Roy replaces in the five I proposed.

I think I put him ahead of Crosby, but again, just by a nose.

Some years ago on CP, I made my own list of the 10 most influential players in the history of the game – not the best players, but the ones who changed hockey permanently. Orr, Gretzky, and Roy were all on the list. Some of the others were not the greatest players, but left their mark on the game in other ways – like Lester and Frank Patrick, who invented the blue line and the penalty shot.

Might be interesting to revisit that topic.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

I think I put him ahead of Crosby, but again, just by a nose.

Man, it’s tough to pick a top 5.

[timbit]

They all have one thing in common.

Multiple cups and they were the principal reasons for it.