Could Crosby Record 100 Assists?

[toby91_ca 620]

I could be wrong on these stats, but I think there are only 3 players ever to do so. Orr did it once, Mario did it once and Gretzky did it a whole bunch of times. However, I think the last time it was done was about 16 years ago.

Crosby is on pace for 96 or so I think. I think he has a chance, but he'll likely come up short. I wonder if he gets really close and then you look at the 3 games he's missed so far, which could have made the difference.

[interminded 1]

I could be wrong on these stats, but I think there are only 3 players ever to do so. Orr did it once, Mario did it once and Gretzky did it a whole bunch of times. However, I think the last time it was done was about 16 years ago.

Crosby is on pace for 96 or so I think. I think he has a chance, but he'll likely come up short. I wonder if he gets really close and then you look at the 3 games he's missed so far, which could have made the difference.

It would be a real achievement if he managed to have 100 assists, but I don't think he'll make it.

The 4th quarter of the season is traditionally the hardest on players.

Maybe Crosby is able to maintain a high level of mental and physical stability, but it all depends on the rest of his team.

To get the assist , somebody else has to score... (I bet you didn't know that.... )

[eva unit zero 271]

If Crosby gets 100 assists, nobody can ever say he doesn't have anyone to play with.

[Cicada 4]

Crosby had a stellar end to last season, if he has anywhere near that, he'll make it

[wingslogo19 281]

I could be wrong on these stats, but I think there are only 3 players ever to do so. Orr did it once, Mario did it once and Gretzky did it a whole bunch of times. However, I think the last time it was done was about 16 years ago.

Crosby is on pace for 96 or so I think. I think he has a chance, but he'll likely come up short. I wonder if he gets really close and then you look at the 3 games he's missed so far, which could have made the difference.

Well i looked on the HHOF Records and rankings, and it says that gretz and mario were the only 2 to get 100 assists in a season

[toby91_ca 620]

It would be a real achievement if he managed to have 100 assists, but I don't think he'll make it.

The 4th quarter of the season is traditionally the hardest on players.

Maybe Crosby is able to maintain a high level of mental and physical stability, but it all depends on the rest of his team.

To get the assist , somebody else has to score... (I bet you didn't know that.... )

Have a look at what he did the last quarter of last year, I think it was his best part of the year.

Well i looked on the HHOF Records and rankings, and it says that gretz and mario were the only 2 to get 100 assists in a season

If what you say is true, the HHOF records and rankings are incorrect. Bobby Orr had 102 assists in 1970-71.

[toby91_ca 620]

If Crosby gets 100 assists, nobody can ever say he doesn't have anyone to play with.

Is that comment somewhat trying to diminish what he's accomplished? I'll tell you this, he certainly has a lot less to work with than Mario or Orr had when they had 100 assists. Each of them had 3 others scoring more than 100pts. Orr wasn't even the leading scorer, Espo had 76 goals and 152 pts that year.

After looking at some of Gretzky's years, I am blown away yet again. While almost all of his years in getting more than 100 assists in a season (I think he did it 11 years in a row, mind numbing), I think the first year he did it is the most impressive. He had over 100 assists in a year where the next leading scorer on the team had 32 goals and 75 points.

I think a lot of people try to tear Wayne's records down due to the high scoring nature of the 80s, but a lot of guys played in that era and no one came close to him. In a lot of years, he was outscoring his next closest teammate by 100pts. Sure, some of his teammates had over 100pts, but he had over 200pts.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

I'll go with "close, but not quite." If he can get 96 (which is what Jumbo Joe hit last year) it will still be a helluva feat.

As for linemates, I think Sid's have shifted around a lot this season, am I right? I've seen Recchi, Malkin (sparingly), Malone, Armstrong...

[jkolet 0]

Crosby had a stellar end to last season, if he has anywhere near that, he'll make it

Bobby Orr had 102 assists in 78 games one season, Adam Oates, Joe Thornton, and Steve Yzerman were all in the 90's.

[wingslogo19 281]

Have a look at what he did the last quarter of last year, I think it was his best part of the year.

If what you say is true, the HHOF records and rankings are incorrect. Bobby Orr had 102 assists in 1970-71.

Thanks for clearing that up for me.. But its kinda of surprising that the HHOF would be wrong, oh well thanks again

[toby91_ca 620]

I'll go with "close, but not quite." If he can get 96 (which is what Jumbo Joe hit last year) it will still be a helluva feat.

As for linemates, I think Sid's have shifted around a lot this season, am I right? I've seen Recchi, Malkin (sparingly), Malone, Armstrong...

Armstrong and Malkin have barely played with him at all this year. Recchi has been on his line for most of the year and Malone has started to become the next regular (though I am not sure I'd agree with that). I wouldn't mind seeing Staal get a chance to play on that line. Other than that, there have been a few guys on and off that line.

A few of Recchi's goals have been the result of Crosby banking it in off his feet.

[labeau55 0]

Another thing that would probably help his cause is if the Pens have to fight for a playoff spot. If they can coast into the postseason players may sit and produdction go down. If they have to fight for a higher seed or spot in the playoffs I dont doubt that he will be getting points every game.

[toby91_ca 620]

Thanks for clearing that up for me.. But its kinda of surprising that the HHOF would be wrong, oh well thanks again

Do you have a link to what the HHOF is saying?

edit: nm, I checked, I think what you were looking at was a list that had only Gretzky and Lemieux on it, but the list was just the top 10 most assists per season. Gretzky holds all 10 positions with Lemieux tied for 9th. Gretzky holds the 10th position twice and Orr's 102 assists would fall into 11th position.

Edited February 7, 2007 by toby91_ca

[arnoldbuck 0]

Another thing that would probably help his cause is if the Pens have to fight for a playoff spot. If they can coast into the postseason players may sit and produdction go down. If they have to fight for a higher seed or spot in the playoffs I dont doubt that he will be getting points every game.

Actually I think this theory of yours might be a little backwards. The last few years when Atlanta was absolutley fighting for a playoff spot Kovalchuks production went down ... Because he couldn't just think offense. He was forced into playing a 2-way style game which focused on defense first to ensure a team victory. He will continue to get points no doubt, but if it is down to the last few games, he has to watch both ends of the rink ... not just the net he trying to put the puck in to.

[JayUp88 1]

I would love to see him reach 100 (i have him on my fantasy hockey)

[TheUltimateWingsFan 1]

Thornton came awfully close last year with 96. That was the most since the 92-93 season, when Oates had 97.

Like HoHT said, looking at Crosby's stats, he's on pace to get 96. So, 100 assists is definitely reachable.

That'd be quite an amazing feat. He'd be only the 4th player in NHL history to do it, the first to accomplish it since the 90-91 season, and the youngest to ever do it (He'd beat Gretzky by about 7 months). Hope he makes it.

Maybe in the next few years Ovechkin, or Malkin, can make a run at joining the 50 in 50 club, something only Richard, Bossy, Gretzky, Lemieux, and Brett Hull have done.

[wingslogo19 281]

Do you have a link to what the HHOF is saying?

edit: nm, I checked, I think what you were looking at was a list that had only Gretzky and Lemieux on it, but the list was just the top 10 most assists per season. Gretzky holds all 10 positions with Lemieux tied for 9th. Gretzky holds the 10th position twice and Orr's 102 assists would fall into 11th position.

If so, that's my fault i didn't really read it quckily.. but i knew i could count on you for clearing it up with me

[eva unit zero 271]

Is that comment somewhat trying to diminish what he's accomplished?

No, it has more to do with that fact that even this season, even with guys like Malkin and Recchi on the team, people were still saying that Crosby was basically doing it himself.

Scoring 100 assists would invalidate that. Here's why: It's rare to see a defense corps score more than 40 goals. So assume the defense scores 40 (they're on pace for 36) and Crosby gets an assist on every single one (incredibly improbable) that would mean that, if you assume Crosby assisted on every single one of his linemates' goals, creating the minimum possible number of goals form his linemates, that would still be 60 goals between the two--30 goals each.

72 forwards are on pace to score 30 or more goals this season--meaning that if Crosby hits 100 assists, he is playing with either two solid first-line caliber goal scorers, or one elite scoring winger who is on pace for a 50+ goal season. We all know the latter is not the case--Malkin's 26 goals leads the Pens, and Malkin plays only limited time with Crosby. That said, Crosby has to have gotten a decent amount of assists on Malkin's goals...there are only 22 assists to be had fro mthe defense, so Crosby has assisted on at very minimum 39 goals from forwards. Outside of the top six, Pens forwards have only scored 43 goals. So 86 goals from top six forwards not including Crosby--an average of 28 goals each in an 82 game season.

[Bannedforlife 403]

No, it has more to do with that fact that even this season, even with guys like Malkin and Recchi on the team, people were still saying that Crosby was basically doing it himself.

Scoring 100 assists would invalidate that. Here's why: It's rare to see a defense corps score more than 40 goals. So assume the defense scores 40 (they're on pace for 36) and Crosby gets an assist on every single one (incredibly improbable) that would mean that, if you assume Crosby assisted on every single one of his linemates' goals, creating the minimum possible number of goals form his linemates, that would still be 60 goals between the two--30 goals each.

72 forwards are on pace to score 30 or more goals this season--meaning that if Crosby hits 100 assists, he is playing with either two solid first-line caliber goal scorers, or one elite scoring winger who is on pace for a 50+ goal season. We all know the latter is not the case--Malkin's 26 goals leads the Pens, and Malkin plays only limited time with Crosby. That said, Crosby has to have gotten a decent amount of assists on Malkin's goals...there are only 22 assists to be had fro mthe defense, so Crosby has assisted on at very minimum 39 goals from forwards. Outside of the top six, Pens forwards have only scored 43 goals. So 86 goals from top six forwards not including Crosby--an average of 28 goals each in an 82 game season.

Check out the big brain on Eva

[FinWing 26]

Even if he didn't reach 100 this season, I'd bet one season soon he will. :idea:

[toby91_ca 620]

No, it has more to do with that fact that even this season, even with guys like Malkin and Recchi on the team, people were still saying that Crosby was basically doing it himself.

Scoring 100 assists would invalidate that. Here's why: It's rare to see a defense corps score more than 40 goals. So assume the defense scores 40 (they're on pace for 36) and Crosby gets an assist on every single one (incredibly improbable) that would mean that, if you assume Crosby assisted on every single one of his linemates' goals, creating the minimum possible number of goals form his linemates, that would still be 60 goals between the two--30 goals each.

72 forwards are on pace to score 30 or more goals this season--meaning that if Crosby hits 100 assists, he is playing with either two solid first-line caliber goal scorers, or one elite scoring winger who is on pace for a 50+ goal season. We all know the latter is not the case--Malkin's 26 goals leads the Pens, and Malkin plays only limited time with Crosby. That said, Crosby has to have gotten a decent amount of assists on Malkin's goals...there are only 22 assists to be had fro mthe defense, so Crosby has assisted on at very minimum 39 goals from forwards. Outside of the top six, Pens forwards have only scored 43 goals. So 86 goals from top six forwards not including Crosby--an average of 28 goals each in an 82 game season.

I am not sure what point you are trying to make. Do people really say he has been doing it himself? No one in the history of the game has ever done anything themselves. However, I think it is pretty impressive that he is on pace for close to 100 assists without having anywhere near a sniper to play with. He plays with Recchi and Malone. Malone is useless and Recchi has been able to chip in, but it's no mystery who is benefiting more by playing with the other. The only other two forwards that I think would help Crosby's stats if he played with them is Malkin and Staal. I think about 12-13 of his assists come from Malkin's goals and if I were to guess, I'd say about 2-3 come from Staal goals (he is very, very rarely on the ice with Staal). He has some offensive help on the PP with Gonchar and Whitney, but that's the extent of the help.

If you were to ask me, no one has ever put up close to the assist totals he is on pace for with less help than he has had.

[gowingsgo 3]

Looks like he will get close but just miss it. You never know with Sid though. He can pile up those 3-4 assist games real quick playing with Malkin and Recchi