Bettman makes up another way to praise Crosby

Disclaimer: I know what you're thinking, so don't even say it. You're thinking "I came here to read about Matt's blazing speed, not hockey." I apologize for going back- to- back hockey posts, but believe me, when I saw this I knew I had to rant on it, so please ignore this post.

Now, on to the business at hand- NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has found another way to sing the praises of the candy- assed Sidney Crosby.

A little background knowledge- right out of the gate, Crosby was touted as "the next one," which the NHL needed. Arguably, since the days of Wayne Gretzky, the now struggling league has been without a face. However, Crosby has grown to be the face of every NHL marketing scheme since he was drafted in 2005. However, also drafted in '05 was one Alex Ovechkin, who has put up better numbers than Crosby in his tenure in Washington. Crosby continues to be the face of the league, despite his lack of physical play (see example 1.) While everyone else sees Crosby as a second line center at best, Bettman seems adamant that he is the best player in the league (he isn't even the best player on his team.)

Now you know my vendetta against Sid. Today I went to NHL.com (a site that I do not frequent anymore,) and guess what I saw? the front page says "Crosby is the best Canadian player in the NHL today." Really? even better than Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, a 15 year veteran who has three Stanley Cups, 14 playoff appearances, and who has seven 40-win seasons. He is a four-time Vezina Trophy winner, a four-time Jennings Trophy winner, a ten-time NHL All Star, and a Calder Memorial Trophy winner. But enough speculation, lets look at stats, shall we? I'll break down the offensive numbers and see who's statistically the best Canadian in the league. You can find the data here, and it stands to prove that Crosby is the best Canadian offensive player. However, you must take in to account the player's linemates, defensive game, teammates, strength of schedule, etc. If you want to get a very accurate picture. Looking at my rough picture from solely an offensive standpoint, Crosby is tops. I can't say I didn't expect that, but I expect the picture to be different if we looked at hits or shot blocks, or a defensive stat like that.

At this point, my argument looks pretty weak. Consistency though, is a very underrated stat, especially at a goaltending position. Goaltending has been incredibly inconsistent lately, we only have to look at the careers of Dan Cloutier and Ray Emery to know that. I would say that Brodeur is definitely the best player in Canada. True, Crosby may provide more flash night in and night out, but in an era where goaltenders seem to drop from NHL rosters like flies and GAA's regularly soar over three, Brodeur's career has been the model of consistency. His 15 year career and NHL record 552 wins make Brodeur a sure- shot hall of famer. He's got trophy cases full of awards, leads the league in career games played, career wins, shutouts, Goals Against Average, is fifth in save percentage, and even leads the league in points from the goaltending position.

Crosby will never amount to holding that many records.