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No Slowing Down for Sidney Crosby: He’s Outlasting NHL Systems

Sidney Crosby isn’t slowing down. At 36, he’s still dominating, scoring, and making NHL defences look every bit like his victim.

by
Old Prof
January 25, 2026

You’d think Sidney Crosby would start to lose a step at some point. But game after game and season after season, he keeps showing he’s still a force on the ice. How does he keep doing it? That’s the real question.

With Sidney Crosby, the answer keeps getting delayed.

Crosby Is Still Putting Up Great Numbers

The numbers alone make the case. Crosby has points in nine of his 12 January games, piling up 17 points along the way. Six goals, 11 assists, four on the power play — all while driving play the way Pittsburgh still needs him to. At 36, he’s not hanging around. He’s controlling games.

What’s easy to miss is how he’s doing it. Crosby isn’t relying on burst or chaos anymore. He’s living in the hard areas, winning time, drawing defenders inward, and letting plays develop on his terms. That shows up in the EDGE data. He’s top-10 in the NHL in high-danger goals, near the top among forwards in offensive-zone time, and still capable of hitting 20-plus mph when it matters. This isn’t nostalgia production — it’s modern, repeatable offence.

Sidney Crosby injury update — Sidney Crosby, of the Pittsburgh Penguins, is having a strong season.

Crosby Still Has Tons of Finish in His Game

Then there’s the finishing. Crosby leads the Penguins with 27 goals, nine more than any of his teammates, and he’s pacing toward his highest goal total since 2016–17. On the power play, he’s already at 10 goals and tracking toward a career-high territory he hasn’t visited since his early years. It’s not about volume shooting. It’s about location and timing. He knows where the soft ice will be before it opens.

Tonight, Crosby meets the Vancouver Canucks. They are a team Crosby loves to play against. He’s got 27 points in 26 games against them, including one already this season. The Canucks can’t stop goals, and their penalty kill isn’t helping. And Crosby just loves picking apart teams that leave gaps. Expect him to be dangerous against Vancouver.

Crosby Is Outlasting Different NHL Systems

Crosby has now scored against 170 different NHL goaltenders. That’s fourth-most in league history — a stat that really shows how long he’s been at the top. It’s not about beating goalies. It’s about outlasting systems, eras, and adjustments.

The league keeps changing. Crosby keeps solving it.