Bryan Rust Reflects on Sidney Crosby's Legacy in a Powerful Statement

Sidney Crosby sat quietly in the Penguins' dressing room after a tough 7-3 loss in Buffalo, unstrapping his gear slowly. He answered questions from the media with his usual aplomb, then paused, his thoughts elsewhere for a moment.

Earlier in the game, Crosby had scored in the opening period, securing his 80th point of the season.

He sat out two games, so he will finish with no more than 80 games played, officially breaking Wayne Gretzky's record for most seasons with a minimum of a point per game to start an NHL career. Twenty seasons, twenty years of greatness.

But on this historic evening, there was no celebration. The Penguins' captain, who has led the franchise for 18 of its 57 seasons, wasn't in the mood to celebrate.

But someday, when this desolate season's hurt is over, he might allow himself to celebrate it.

For now, Crosby fights on. At 37, and with 1,344 regular-season contests under his belt (1,524 overall, counting playoffs), there's no aging.

He leads the NHL in points since the 4 Nations Face-Off break, carries a nine-game point streak into the night, and is hard to score on when he's on the ice five-on-five. He remains as good as he ever was, even if his team is far from it.

His teammates know they are witnessing something special. Bryan Rust, in particular, talked about his awe at Crosby's year-round excellence. It's an incredible sight for Rust and his teammates.

Year in and year out, he seems to be able to be one of the best, no matter what's going on within the organization. The Penguins may be having bad times, but Crosby is worth the price of admission.

Pittsburgh would like him to stay great long enough for a final burst of playoff hockey, but when that will be remains to be seen. Fans are praying it's as early as next season.