Penguins' Sidney Crosby has one flaw to his game

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is not only still one of the best players in the NHL, he is one of the best players in the history of the sport. If you were constructing a Mt. Rushmore of NHL players, Crosby would have a compelling argument to be on it. 

There are not many flaws to his game. And throughout his career when flaws have existed, he has tirelessly worked to fix them and turn them into strengths. 

He is an elite goal-scorer and playmaker, while also having vision and a work ethic that are nearly unmatched. There is almost nothing on the ice he does not excel at.

Almost.

Over the past few years, however, there has been one small flaw to his game that has showed up in some potentially game-deciding moments, and it happened again on Tuesday night in the Penguins' 2-1 shootout loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Sidney Crosby's shootout struggles continue

The one flaw to Crosby's game right now: The shootout.

He struggles to score in the shootout, which has been a multiple year problem for his Penguins teammates as well.

With his miss on Tuesday night, Crosby has now missed on nine of his past 10 shootout attempts and is just 2-for-12 going back to the start of the 2024-25 season. 

It is baffling because the shootout situations are an area where a player as talented as Crosby should be able to truly shine. 

His attempt on Tuesday was an especially difficult one, and it resulted in him not even getting a shot on net as the puck rolled off his stick as he tried to make a move. 

On one hand, if there was a flaw for a player to have, this might be one that is easiest to hide. Shootouts do not happen regularly, and they are not a thing in playoff games. But it is still the opportunity for an extra point in the standings, and it is one the Penguins continue to lose. After Tuesday's shootout loss they are now 1-6 in shootouts this season and 2-12 over the past two years. Given how tight the playoff race is in the Eastern Conference, every point matters. 

The Penguins keep losing them. Crosby's inexplicable struggles in the shootout are certainly playing a role.