Sidney Crosby tying this Wayne Gretzky record boosts case as all-time great

Sidney Crosby has been considered the best or among the best players in the NHL for the past 19 seasons.

Even now, at the age of 36, he is still the best player on the ice for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 95% of their games.

And as proof of his continued excellence, Crosby has tied one of the many records held by Wayne Gretzky. 

With 84 points (39 goals and 45 assists) in 75 games this season, Crosby will average at least a point a game for the campaign. It is the 19th consecutive season in which Crosby has done that, which ties him with The Great One, who had also accomplished the feat in each of his first 19 NHL seasons.

Only in his 20th and final season (1998-99) did Gretzky fail to average at least a point a game, when he posted 62 points in 70 games with the New York Rangers.

It is not one of Gretzky's major records, but Crosby still tied a Gretzky record.

And at least in this case, there is a good chance that Crosby will break the record next season. That's because – despite his age and the years of wear and tear on his body – the veteran star has shown no signs of slowing down, though next season will be the last year of his current contract.

The Penguins captain has been one the few bright spots in a bitterly disappointing season in Pittsburgh and still has an outside chance of dragging the Penguins into the playoffs.

And while Crosby (or anyone else, for that matter) will never come close to Gretzky's career point total – even if Gretzky had never scored a goal in the NHL, he would still be the all-time leading point producer on the strength of his 1,963 assists – Sid the Kid's career numbers are steadily creeping up the ladder of the all-time greats.

To go along with two Hart Trophies as league MVP, two Art Ross Trophies as the NHL's leading scorer, two Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophies as the league's leading goal scorer, two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoffs MVP and three Stanley Cups, Crosby has posted 589 goals, 997 assists and 1,586 points in his career.

The consensus in the hockey world has long been that four players stand atop all others and are on the NHL's Mt. Rushmore: Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe. 

And if Crosby hasn't reached that pinnacle yet, it would not be crazy to suggest that he will ultimately be No. 5. Some have even suggested that Crosby could replace Howe in the Big Four (as if Red Wings fans didn't already have enough reasons to hate the Penguins star).

But we'll have plenty of time to figure all of that out, because Crosby's career is likely far from over.