Greatness is now spelled S-I-D

It may be a little to early to refer to Sidney Crosby as the greatest, but he certainly may be the greatest since "The Great One" and "The Magnificent One" were dominating the league. However, Sidney Crosby is proving to be one of the most amazing talents that the hockey world has seen in a very long time.

When Crosby was a junior the media was already piling on the pressure that he was "The Next One". Since day one in the NHL, after being selected first overall by the Penguins, "Sid the Kid" has not disappointed at all. Last season, as a rookie, he had an impressive campaign with 39 goals, 63 assists for 102 points. That is one heck of a rookie campaign. If he could consistently record a hundred points per season for even ten to fifteen years he'd be a first ballot hall of famer.

What separates a player like Sidney though is that he isn't satisfied with being a really good player. He wants to be the best. So this season he has improved on almost every facet of his game. Already he is on pace to far surpass his incredible rookie season with 25 goals, 57 assists and 82 points in ONLY 47 games so far. This puts him on pace for 138 points this year. Not only that but the play of him and his young supporting cast actually has the Penguins on pace for a possible playoff birth. In fact right now the Pens are sitting in 6th place in the east with a couple of games in hand. Definitely a turnaround from the past number of seasons when they were one of the doormats of the NHL.

Is it possible that hockey fans are now watching one of if not the best player in twenty years develop before our very eyes? And can this young 19 year old kid possibly put the NHL back on the map in the United States? The opportunity is there. There has not been a player of his magnitude in a very long time and it would be a shame for people south of the 49th to miss it. Many players have been highly touted coming out of junior and into the NHL but Crosby is shaping up to be even better than advertised. The first step will be if Sidney Crosby can somehow be viewed as the player most responsible for saving hockey in Pittsburgh. The next step will be to continue dominating this game and lead his team to a Stanley Cup.

Just to illustrate how amazing Crosby has been, when Wayne Gretzky played his first season in the NHL, "The Great One" scored 51 goals and added 86 assists for 137 points. Crosby’s 82 points in 47 games has him on pace for 138 points this season. That means comparisons between the two players aren’t far-fetched at all.

The NHL now can showcase (with no more Gretzky or Lemieux), possibly the next legend of the game Sidney Crosby. If all the stars remain aligned, his will be a career for the ages. Greatness may indeed be spelled S-I-D!