from Frank Seravalli of TSN,

For six consecutive years, Sidney Crosby has been ranked the No. 1 NHL player on TSN’s Top 50 list, but the Pittsburgh Penguins star is not even among the NHL’s Top 125 scorers through the first quarter.

Crosby’s sudden plunge in productivity makes him the NHL’s biggest individual disappointment at the quarter pole of the season. The second quarter officially begins Monday night with game No. 308 of 1,230 when Buffalo hosts St. Louis.

Crosby, 28, has been held pointless in 13 of 20 games and is on pace for just 41 points. For perspective: Crosby netted 37 points in just 22 games in 2011-12 while battling post-concussion symptoms. In his last 61 games under Mike Johnston, Crosby has been kept off the scoresheet in nearly half (27) the games.

There has been no shortage of theories on what ails Crosby, ranging from a poor fit with Johnston’s system, to Crosby playing more of a perimeter game, to age suddenly catching up with Crosby’s once tireless legs. There was even a focus on Crosby breaking sticks in key moments of games with open nets – it has been that perplexing.

His struggles may well be a combination of all those distinctions. One fact is undeniable: Crosby does not seem happy.

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