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Sidney Crosby is the best player on earth and only getting better

Charles LeClaire / USA TODAY Sports

At age 27, Sidney Crosby has already established himself as the greatest player of his generation, if not one of the best ever to lace them up and hit the ice.

He's a Stanley Cup champion, a two-time Art Ross trophy winner as the NHL's leading scorer, a two-time Hart Trophy winner as league MVP, and a Maurice Richard Trophy winner after scoring a league- and career-high 51 goals in 2009-10. 

On top of that, he's a two-time Olympic Gold medalist, with a host of other accomplishments at the junior level.

In short, if Sidney Crosby retired today, he'd be in the Hall of Fame tomorrow. He's that good.

And the crazy thing is that Crosby, like a fine wine, only seems to be getting better with age. Last season, he led the league in scoring by 17 points, and so far this season (and yes, the Pittsburgh Penguins have only played seven games) he's on pace to shatter his career highs in both goals and total points by the end of 2014-15.

Season GP Goals Assists PPG Points/82 GP
2005-06 81 39 63 1.25 102.5
2006-07 79 36 84 1.51 123.8
2007-08 53 24 48 1.35 110.7
2008-09 77 33 70 1.33 109
2009-10 81 51 58 1.34 109.9
2010-11 41 32 34 1.61 132
2011-12 22 8 29 1.68 137.8
2013 36 15 41 1.55 127.1
2013-14 80 36 68 1.3 106.6
2014-15 7 5 7 1.7 140.5

At his current pace, Crosby is on track to record 58.5 goals and 82 assists over the course of 82 games, topping his torrid pace from the 2011-12 season. At that time he was in the midst of concussion issues that had some concerned he could walk away from the game permanently. 

Incredibly, his 12 points this season have come in five games, having been kept off the score sheet in two games prior to a three-point effort Saturday in Nashville. His ability to make plays was on full display against the Predators, beginning with a goal that came after he retrieved his own errant pass and put the puck past Pekka Rinne.

(Courtesy: NHL.com)

Later, he set up an Evgeni Malkin goal with this picture perfect snap pass:

The one aspect of his game that's down to begin the year is faceoffs, where his winning percentage sits at 46.3 - the lowest since his rookie season and down from his career average of 51.9. But true to form, he's improved in that area recently, winning 54.1 percent of his draws over the past two games.

That's the truly special thing about Sidney Crosby. Even with all he's accomplished, he's never content with his game. More importantly, he isn't satisfied unless he and his teammates are the last men standing at the end of each game and, ultimately, at the end of the season.

“He’s really got this essence about him … that makes him constantly feel like where he is is one step behind where he’s going and where he needs to be,” trainer Andy O’Brien told the National Post in April. “I think it’s just a real unique quality that makes him Sidney Crosby.”

Still, those who dig for reasons to anoint someone else as the greatest player in the game cite the fact his name is on the Cup but once while others from the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings have raised the greatest trophy in sports twice since the Penguins' last victory in 2009.

For his part, Crosby knows every season is a new opportunity to not only cement his legacy, but for his team to meet expectations as the best in the league.

"Are we really that far from expectations?" Crosby asked prior to the start of the season. "Would I love to have two Stanley Cups right now? Absolutely. But if we win this year we're not talking about how much of a failure (it is) that we haven't had a dynasty."

If he keeps playing the way he has through the first seven games - and really, there's no reason to believe he can't or won't - the Penguins could very well be the last team standing, with Crosby further setting himself apart as the best player in hockey, full stop.

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