Crosby finding his groove, Makar's goal chase, and the Canes' Stoic rookie

This NHL season has featured significant storyline after significant storyline.

Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid, and Leon Draisaitl have put up stunning point totals. A handful of organizations fired their managers and/or coaches. More than half of the league's teams have endured a COVID-19 outbreak. The Buffalo Sabres traded Jack Eichel, and he (finally) underwent surgery. Trevor Zegras pulled off the first "Michigan pass" and, in the process, managed to piss off a few old-school types. The NHL has bowed out of the 2022 Olympics. And so on ...

Nowhere above is there mention of Sidney Crosby, arguably the most important and best player in the salary-cap era. The lack of Crosby buzz can be partly attributed to him missing 12 games due to injury and protocol. Part of it is the 34-year-old's overall standing in the hockey universe right now - is he still a top-five player? Part of it is perhaps Crosby fatigue, considering the two-time MVP and three-time Stanley Cup winner's consistent greatness.

Whatever the reasoning, Crosby reminded us all of the kind of player he is on Wednesday night. After engaging in some pushing and hacking with Niko Mikkola in the second period, the bloodied captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins collected a goal and an assist (and first-star honors) in a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. All game, he looked dialed in and in full control.

Crosby's long been known as the "superstar grinder" or "grinder at heart," a player whose generational talents (the vision, passing, hand-eye coordination, etc.) is matched by a willingness to win 50-50 puck battles and crash the net. Crosby may not be in his prime anymore, but he remains an impossibly complete player who refuses to back down from physical challenges.

Check out his goal against the Blues. It's vintage Crosby - gritty and skillful:

With Crosby on the ice, the Penguins outscored the Blues 3-0, controlled the run of play with a 27-16 advantage in shot attempts, and had the edge in scoring chances at 15-11 (per Natural Stat Trick). Keep in mind, the Blues are no pushover as the second-place team in a competitive Central Division.

Crosby "was in beast mode" Wednesday, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters following the club's ninth straight victory. "He's the standard-bearer for the team," Sullivan added. "He raises the intensity level for our group. He establishes a certain expectation that flows through our bench, that everybody has the responsibility to play the game a certain way."

In his 17th season, Crosby has scooped up 24 points in 21 games (including two assists Thursday in the Pens' 10th straight win), a rate slightly below his career average. But Crosby's production could very well soar now that he and the Pens have found their groove. Exhibit A: Evan Rodrigues emerging as a legitimate offensive threat. Exhibit B: Kris Letang playing at a Norris Trophy-caliber level. Exhibit C: Both Jeff Carter and Evgeni Malkin, Crosby's longtime running mate in Pittsburgh, returning from injury sooner rather than later.

Crosby and the Pens are rolling. Look out.

Makar's 30-goal chase

There are two kinds of single-season milestone chasers in hockey.

The first is the player who's on an NBA Jam-level hot streak ("He's on fire!") but seems destined to come back to earth eventually, falling short of the milestone. The second is the player who's scorching hot and dominating the game in such a palpable way that a crash is possible but not likely.

Cale Makar fits into the second group as he eyes 30 goals for the Colorado Avalanche. Heading into a Saturday night tilt against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the superstar defenseman has 14 goals and 14 assists in 26 games, and the way he's sniping suggests he won't be cooling off anytime soon.

Makar's goal-of-the-season submission from the Avs' 4-3 overtime win Tuesday is a prime example of how pure talent is driving the march to 30:

A defenseman has scored 30-plus goals in a season just 17 times in history. The list of 30-goal scorers is a who's who of offensive D-men: Bobby Orr (five times), Paul Coffey (four), Denis Potvin (three), Mike Green, Kevin Hatcher, Doug Wilson, Phil Housley, and Ray Bourque.

A defenseman scoring 30 is remarkable, the equivalent of a forward putting up 65 tallies - something that's happened 24 times. The last blue-liner to score 30 was Green in 2008-09, while Ovechkin was the last to bag 65 in 2007-08.

Makar's on pace for 42 goals in 78 games (he missed four contests due to injury and COVID-19 protocol). The 5-foot-11, 187-pounder will still be in decent shape even if he cools off and his sky-high 19.2 shooting percentage dips to a sensible level. Makar needs to score 16 times in 52 games - or roughly once every third contest - to hit 30. His lethal weapon is a world-class wrist shot:

Notice how Makar almost exclusively unleashes his wrister in and around the slot area? His elite skating ability, coupled with excellent puck protection, allows him to waltz around the offensive zone and into a prime scoring spot.

The 23-year-old isn't dining out on power-play goals, either, as 11 of his 14 tallies have come at even strength. Again, this guy has earned his chance at scoring 30.

Hurricanes' Stoic rookie

The stats geeks at the league office recently compiled some end-of-year tidbits. Among them: 223 players made their NHL debut in 2021, the highest number of debuts in a calendar year in the league's 104-year history.

Top prospects aside, most of these first games came and went without much attention. Nevertheless, one caught my eye: Jack Drury in Carolina.

Drury scored on a fantastic individual effort on Dec. 16. He followed it up with another goal for the Hurricanes two days later before getting sent back to the AHL Chicago Wolves, where he's posted 16 points in 23 games this campaign.

Drury, 21, is an interesting cat. The 2018 second-rounder spent two years at Harvard University prior to winning a Swedish Hockey League title last season as a first-year pro. His dad Ted is a former NHLer, and his uncle Chris, an NHL star from 1998 to 2011, is the general manager of the New York Rangers.

What I find truly unique about Drury is his fascination with the school of ancient philosophy called Stoicism. He's read "Meditations" - a collection of journal entries by Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius - several times and has practiced Stoicism since his mid-teens.

"The main principle is, control what you can control," Drury explained when I asked him about Stoicism in a 2018 interview. "So, focus on the things that are within your control, not what people on the outside are doing. It's about using your emotions in the right manner, about not overreacting to situations. It's about staying steady and grounded, especially in tough situations."

Also on Drury's bookshelf: "The Inner Game of Tennis," by Timothy Gallwey. Like Stoicism, Gallwey's book deals with mental performance, specifically "how to get out of your own way to let your best game emerge." Clearly, Drury is a deep thinker who values a clear, focused mind.

Drury mentioned in 2018 that he had never signed up for a social media account. He doesn't appear to have one in 2022. A member of Generation Z who's shunned social media!? Yep, this NHL newbie is an interesting cat.

Parting thoughts

Boudreau Canucks: Mr. Regular Season has done it again - albeit in a small sample size - as the Vancouver Canucks are 8-0-1 under Bruce Boudreau. Vancouver sits 12th in the Western Conference, three points out of the second wild-card spot. MoneyPuck.com gives the Canucks a 15.7% chance of making the playoffs. The next two weeks will be a major test. After a meeting with Ottawa on Saturday, Vancouver plays Florida, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Washington, Nashville, Florida again, St. Louis, and Edmonton.

Noah Dobson: One of the rare bright spots on Long Island this season, Dobson has tied his career high for points (14) in just 26 games. He even scored an overtime goal on New Year's Day (below). It's difficult for a defenseman to break out offensively on the stingy Islanders, but Dobson has always had the skill set. The 12th overall pick in 2018 is finally playing top-four minutes (20:23). And hey, Happy Birthday, Noah - he turned 22 on Friday.

Dallas Stars: What a seesaw 30 games for the 2020 Stanley Cup finalists. The Stars won four of their first 10 contests, six of which went into overtime. Then they lost two. Then they won nine of 10. Then they lost five straight. Recently, they've won three in a row. Naturally, Dallas' record is a middling 16-12-2.

Takes, Thoughts, and Trends is theScore's biweekly hockey grab bag.

John Matisz is theScore's senior NHL writer. Follow John on Twitter (@MatiszJohn) or contact him via email ([email protected]).