Does Sidney Crosby need a protector on ice?

Question

He has been beat up/pushed around on the ice lately, does he need some muscle players to defend him so he can score goals?

Answer 1

I think adding an enforcer may be good for sid, but bad for the pens. the pens run 4 lines every game (the 4th line gets over 10 min a game) if you add an enforcer just to go fight someone every other night and dont get any production out of him it really hinders your ability to run 4 solid lines like the pens are doing right now, the 4th line is a huge part of their streak right now also. For sid and the pens the best thing that can happen right now is getting some of the blatant penalties called (but end to midsection vs Montreal and spear vs Islanders being two of them).

3 forwards per line 4 lines is 12 forwards
6 defenders
2 goalies
thats your line up...no room for an enforcer it messes with chemistry on the ice and in the locker room...the pens MUST have production out of all 4 lines to win...giving up a spot for an enforcer is not a small price it risks the chemistry of the entire team(especially if he cant play, most cant)

Answer 2

I don't want to see an enforcer because all they're good for is racking up the PIM and not adding any points. Right now, I think the whole team having been playing the role of the inforcer.
Some players have gotten into fights.
Petrovicky--Didn't know he could fight until he KO'ed Newbury
Malone--Did end up breaking his arm (fight against Kozlov). Has fought for Crosby (fought Witt)
Thorburn--He's a tough guy (9 fights so far)
Ruutu--Runs his mouth but will only throw a punch after the other guy starts to get physical. Gets under people's skin.
Armstrong--A small guy who can lay out a hit, he did get pounded by Souray

If his teamates will step up to the plate fight for him, which they are sticking up for him and everyone else, there's no need for an enforcer. In the end though there needs to be calls on the plays like Lapierre and Blake

Answer 3

Yes.

You don't want him either getting hurt from a cheap shot or taking revenge into his own hands. Offsetting penalties when he retaliates work against the Pens since it pulls him off the ice for two minutes while the other team usually loses a checking line player.

The cheap shots will stop once some toughness is added to the bench. Ovechkin doesn't put up with the same nonsense because he has Brashear sitting waiting to go crazy on anyone that tries anything.
Sidney and Malkin need to be able to concentrate on goal scoring.

Answer 4

Unfortunately, yes. That's what the game has come to over the last 30 years or so. In the old days, a player was his own enforcer. There are very few players in the game today that could have played before 1980. Cheap shot artists like Ville Nieminen would have been broken in half by guys like Gordie Howe in the old days.

A protector for Crosby? My vote would go to Scott Parker.

Answer 5

Yes he needs protection. He is the best player on the team. All the opposing teams will take a run at him every chance they get. If the Pens had an enforcer over half of that crap would stop. That's why Wayne had McSorley. Yzerman had Probert. Hull had Twist and Chase.
Some loud mouth player with no skills like Avery would not take 90% of the cheap shots he takes if he knew there was someone on the opposing team tht would make him pay for hitting the star of the team.

Answer 6

YES he needs protection of the 20 men on each team 2goalies 6defensemen 12forwards/centers 1 enforcer is a very small price to pay as insurance. Hell i think all teams should be required to dress 1 enforcer AND THIS INCLUDES THE ALL STAR GAME (you would see a better game and ratings then what happened in Dallas this year). You don't have to shift this guy (someone can double shift). Heck having a great enforcer just sitting on the bench can be enough of a deterrent to an open ice hip-check on your franchise player.
All it takes is one good hit and your star player could be out for the year.

Answer 7

Every "Team" can use an enforcer. If you are one of those pesky little p@#$%^ out there, you will think twice about sticking it to Crosby if you know you're going to "pay the piper" next shift.

Don't see too many guys taking liberties with Ovechkin, with Brashear overlooking the ice surface. Same with Gaborik, he has Boogey, Briere has Peters, Heatly has McGratton, Selanne has Parros. The list goes on and on. So absolutely, get Crosby a body-guard before the game looses the greatest thing it has had in years since Gretzky-Lemieux.

Answer 8

Yes I say he does. Some say he's just a baby, but was Wayne Gretsky a baby? No. He had a defender/protector on the ice playing with him. I mean he did take be hits, but not as much cuz he had a protector. Sidney deserves one. Yeah, I agree as well, it is part of growing up, and its part of hockey, deal with it. He still should get one. It should'nt protect his every move, because it wouldn't show him, and it wouldn't be fair.

Answer 9

Brett Hull addressed this the other day. His point was that the room created by a neutralizer gives the talent more room to operate. His proof was in the numbers he and Gretzky put up when they had their respective protectors.

The closest the Pens have to that is Ruutu who is more of an agitator in the Tikkanen mold, as opposed to the Semenko/McSorley type force.

Answer 10

Yea he definetly does...He is the best player in the league no doubt about it. If i am a coach on the opposing team, im telling my guys to harrass him as much as you can and get him frustrated. The Penguins have 2 wins in 2 years when sidney doesnt get a point...shut him down you win. Easier said then done, though