BOSTON — Sidney Crosby might not be as shiny as Connor Bedard or have the same offensive numbers as Connor McDavid, but Brad Marchand said the Penguins’ Hall-of-Fame bound center is still the best overall player in the NHL and could be for quite a while.
The Bruins captain praised his fellow Nova Scotia native after the Penguins’ 6-5 win over the Bruins at TD Garden. Crosby, 36, scored the game-winner on the power play to give Pittsburgh the victory.
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“He’s still one of the best in the world. He’s not really getting the credit he deserves right now. A lot of the attention is on the younger guys,” Marchand said. “But if you look at the details of the game and the full 200 feet, he’s by far the best player in the league. Him and (Nathan) MacKinnon, two good Nova Scotia boys.”
It was a good night overall for native sons of the province where the sport was born. Fans hoisting Garrison Ales at the legendary Split Crow Tavern on Argyle Street in Halifax saw Crosby score a game-winner, Marchand notch a highlight-film short-hander and MacKinnon score an OT winner for Colorado at Dallas.
For all his playful maritime banter, Marchand’s admiration for Crosby, who he’s played with on All-Star teams and for Team Canada, is sincere.
“The work you put in when you’re younger and throughout your career doesn’t benefit you the next season, it’s the continuation of building it. It’s something he’s done so well for such a long time,” Marchand said. “The way he trains and takes care of himself. His competitiveness on and off the ice it’s unmatched.
“He’s not as flashy as some of the higher-end guys. He plays hard and direct,” Marchand added. “He plays a winning way. The young guys are getting the attention. If you look at the attention Bedard is getting compared to Sid, they’re not at the same level right now. Bedard is a helluva player for his age, but Bedard is one of the best to ever play the game.”
Marchand thought Crosby had a lot of years left in him.
“He’ll be able to play at that level as long as he wants to, especially with how soft the league is getting,” he said. “You’re not getting banged and beat up the way guys were getting in the past. He can skate so well that he’s not going to slow down.”
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