No one has watched Crosby more closely than Andy O’Brien. Crosby, who has won three Stanley Cups and a boatload of individual awards in a physically brutal game that becomes faster and younger by the year, has been paying attention. With the exception of Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals forward who is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record, no player of Crosby’s age or with 17 seasons under his skates has been as dominant.Įlite athletes like Tom Brady (44), Tiger Woods (46), Serena Williams (40) and Rafael Nadal (35) have worked to stay at the top of their sports, with varying degrees of success. players have been at it longer than Crosby, and six others came into the league with him in 2005. TORONTO - The Pittsburgh Penguins are in the playoffs for the 16th consecutive season - the longest active streak of any team in the five major professional team sports in North America - largely because Sidney Crosby, their enduring star center, quietly had one of the best seasons in the N.H.L.
