Game 7 between the Pittsburgh Penguins and NY Rangers is on the horizon. The Rangers managed a shocking comeback in Games 5 and 6 after looking listless against a dominant Pittsburgh side. But the Penguins have seemingly capsized and no player has been more emblematic of that fall than Captain Sidney Crosby.

"Sid the Kid," as he is often called, is also known as the best player in the world. No NHLer is more dynamic offensively or sees the game on the same level as the Penguin. Just look at his dominant regular season play and his league-leading 104 points. That was the fifth time that Crosby eclipsed the 100-point plateau in his nine NHL season. After such a terrific run in the regular season (an injury-free one at that), many expected Crosby to elevate Pittsburgh in the playoffs and lead the team to its second Cup since 2009. But things have not panned out so easily for the Penguins. The offense is still contributing, but Crosby has struggled mightily to put the puck in the net. He has one goal in these playoffs and has eight assists in 12 games; five of those helpers are secondary. For the first time in his NHL career he has scored less than a point-per-game in the playoffs. He had six assists against Columbus but only has three points in six games against the Rangers. The latter statistic is rather shocking considering Crosby's dominance over the NY Rangers. Throughout his career, he has scored 65 points in 47 games against the Rangers; the only team he has more points against is the NY Islanders. Crosby should be having a better series than he currently is.

Possession stats indicate that Crosby has been fine on the ice. In fact, his line with Evgeni Malkin and Chris Kunitz has managed to hem in the Rangers for long stretches in their games. The problem is that Crosby is hardly the man driving the play. That honor belongs to Malkin who has been Pittsburgh's undisputed MVP in these playoffs. He has 13 points thus far and his strength and poise have created problems for New York throughout the games. But Crosby has not been able to assert himself physically. The Rangers are constantly double-teaming him; throughout Game 6, the superstar tried to cut into the middle only to be met by a few Rangers who easily outmuscled him. Defenseman Marc Staal has been reportedly been aiming at Crosby's head throughout the postseason, a rather alarming turn of events when one considers Crosby's well-documented history with concussions. He is constantly pushed to the periphery of the ice and has barely had good looks on net. During a powerplay in the second period of Game 6, he had a solid chance for a one-timer and broke his stick. His best game was Game 3 (when he finally scored a goal), but even then he only managed two points.

Crosby's playoff struggles extend all the way back to last season. While he managed 15 points in 14 playoff games, nine of those came in the first round series against the NY Islanders, a team that was playing its first playoff games since 2007. Pittsburgh ousted New York in six games before taking down Ottawa in five; Crosby put up his remaining six points in those games before undergoing an embarrassing stretch of powerlessness. The Boston Bruins and their physical style of play overwhelmed Crosby and left him pointless in the four-game sweep. Crosby, an elite face-off center struggled throughout the Boston series in this area as well.

Crosby has generally been a great playoff performer throughout his career, but of late he has struggled to be the Penguins' top star when the postseason rolls around. In 2007-08 and 2009-10, he was the leading scorer for Pittsburgh, though he only scored six goals and registered 21 assists in 2007-08. However, in the 2008-09 cup run he was overshadowed by Evgeni Malkin who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP. Crosby rose to the occasion against Philadelphia and the Washington Capitals (when Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin was still a major debate) and scored 21 of his 31 points that postseason. In the seven-game series against Detroit, he only registered three points in just two of the seven games and watched Malkin put up eight points in those final seven games; Malkin put up 36 points in that playoff run.

Crosby's talent and intelligence cannot be questioned. However, the superstar has been far from what the Penguins have hoped in recent playoff years. Pittsburgh is now on the brink of elimination for the first time this spring and Crosby has yet to answer the bell for his team this postseason. Game 7 could be the moment he is waiting for. Back in 2008-09, he put up a three-point night in Game 7 against the Washington Capitals to lead the Penguins to the Eastern Conference finals. He needs to do that again this year if this team has any hopes of winning the Stanley Cup.