Sidney's First Playoff Test

Sidney Crosby has taken the hockey world by storm in winning the Art Ross trophy at the tender age of 19.

Now, it's time for him to step up and prove that he can perform at that same high level in the NHL playoffs.

TV Analyst Pierre McGuire says Sidney will be just fine ...

"I saw Sidney get absolutely mauled at the Memorial Cup in London, Ont., a few years ago, and he did just fine (winning the tournament scoring title)," McGuire said.

"You have to understand, Sidney and other great players have been targeted since they were 10 years old. They know how to deal with it."

"Crosby handles the rough stuff just fine," McGuire said. "All the great players do. Besides, Sidney usually plays with Recchi and Ryan Malone, or Staal."

Crosby will likely be shadowed by Mike Fisher and the defensive tandem of Phillips-Volchenkov, something The Kid is all too used to by now.

So, how have other legendary players fared in their first playoff tests in the past?

Wayne Gretzky
Age 19: 3GP 2-1-3PTS
Age 20: 9GP 7-14-21PTS

Mario Lemieux
Age 23: 11GP 12-7-19PTS

Steve Yzerman
Age 18: 4GP 3-3-6PTS

Joe Thornton
Age 19: 11GP 3-6-9PTS

Vincent Lecavalier
Age 23: 11GP 3-3-6PTS

By those standards, the great players do good things in the playoffs, regardless of age. Anything less than a point-a-game for Sidney would be a disappointment.