Skating/shot speed, offensive zone time, high-danger shots keep center at top of game
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NHL.com’s fantasy staff continues to cover the latest trends and storylines in the League through the lens of NHL EDGE puck and player tracker stats. Today, we take a look at the advanced stats behind Sidney Crosby’s NHL-record 20th consecutive point-per-game season for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In the midst of THE GR8 CHASE by Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals for the most goals in NHL history, another legendary active player, Sidney Crosby, has already broken a different one of Wayne Gretzky’s records: Crosby’s 20 straight point-per-game seasons are the most in League history.
Crosby, who has 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) during his current 10-game point streak, leads the Penguins with 81 points (27 goals, 54 assists) in 73 games this season. Pittsburgh has played 75 games this season, so Crosby clinched another point-per-game season with his goal against the Buffalo Sabres on March 27. This is also the 12th double-digit point streak of Crosby’s career, tied for sixth most in NHL history; Gretzky leads that list with 31 point streaks of at least 10 games.
The 37-year-old Crosby ranks ninth in NHL history in points (1,677 in 1,345 games; most among active players), and his career points per game average (1.25) ranks second among active players behind Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers (1.51) and tied for eighth all-time (minimum 150 games) in the category.
Here are four EDGE stats reasons Crosby is still going so strong:
1. Skating speed
Crosby, whose consecutive point-per-game seasons record spans his entire career and came while playing for the same team, ranks in the 88th percentile in 20-plus mile per hour speed bursts (148) this season. His total in that category has been consistent during the puck and player tracking era, with his highest total coming last season:
2021-22: 155 in 69 games; 88th percentile
2022-23: 134 in 82 games; 83rd percentile
2023-24: 189 in 82 games; 94th percentile
2024-25: 148 in 73 games; 88th percentile
2. Offensive zone time percentage
Even with the Penguins likely to miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third straight season, Crosby is among the NHL’s top forwards in offensive zone time percentage at all strengths (45.6) this season. He also ranks highly at his position in offensive zone time percentages at even strength (42.9; 84th percentile) and on the power play (60.6; 80th percentile).
In terms of total skating distance, Crosby is one of the heavyweights; he ranks just outside the top 10 forwards in total skating distance (242.01 miles; 98th percentile) and is fifth at his position in even-strength skating distance (210.65 miles). The only forwards who rank higher are Nathan MacKinnon (236.15) of the Colorado Avalanche, Connor Bedard (224.78) of the Chicago Blackhawks and the Winnipeg Jets duo of Mark Scheifele (217.23) and Kyle Connor (210.69). The average age of those four forwards is 27, a full decade younger.
3. Top shot speed
Crosby’s hardest shot attempt this season was clocked at 94.48 mph in the third period of a road game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on March 25, putting him in the 95th percentile among forwards in top shot speed. That was Crosby’s hardest shot during the puck and player tracking era (since 2021-22); listed below is Crosby’s top shot speed in each season over that span:
2021-22: 89.86
2022-23: 93.10
2023-24: 90.82
2024-25: 94.48
4. Goals and shots on goal by location
Crosby also checks multiple advanced stats boxes in terms of his goal scoring and shots on goal volume by location. He ranks in the 97th percentile in high-danger shots on goal (76) this season and also ranks highly in high-danger goals (12; 85th percentile) and midrange goals (seven; 84th percentile).
Crosby quietly leads the NHL in 5-on-5 assists (39) this season and ranks third in 5-on-5 points (53) behind Nikita Kucherov of the Lightning (55) and Leon Draisaitl of the Oilers (54). And Crosby’s most- frequent linemates Rickard Rakell (leads Penguins with 32 goals in 74 games) and Bryan Rust (third on Penguins in goals with 26 in 64 games behind Rakell, Crosby) have provided Crosby with enough of a supporting cast to achieve this record milestone.
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More: NHL EDGE stats on Crosby
