Will Crosby keep his manic scoring pace?

1. Sidney Crosby, the current points leader in the NHL, will keep scoring at this pace and… 1. Sidney Crosby, the current points leader in the NHL, will keep scoring at this pace and capture the Art Ross Trophy at the end of the season.

Dave Siegel: Fact. Even though Crosby laments that NHL scoring isn’t quite at the pinball pace of the 1980s, Crosby is still on pace for 137 points. Barring injury, there will be no sophomore slump for “Sid the Kid;” the Art Ross Trophy is his. Crosby has a five-point lead over Atlanta’s Marian Hossa and an eight-point lead over the Rangers’ Jaromir Jagr as of Tuesday night. As he has shown in recent games, Crosby doesn’t necessarily have to put the puck in the net to obtain points; he has done an exceptional job of creating scoring chances and enhancing his teammates’ abilities. Take for instance his five-assist game against the Flyers and three assists the next game against the Islanders last month.

Dave Thomas: Fact. Obviously, assuming and hoping Sid can stay healthy, there seems to be no reason why Crosby won’t take home the Art Ross. He practically figures in on every Penguins goal in some way or another. The only way for the Penguins to sneak into the playoffs will be if Crosby keeps this pace. I think when it’s all said and done, Crosby will be top in the league and the Pens will see postseason action for the first time in a long time.

2. If Bill Cowher does retire, the Steelers should fill the position “in-house” with either Ken Whisenhunt or Russ Grimm.

DS: Fiction. Hiring a coordinator in-house isn’t necessarily a bad idea, but the Rooneys shouldn’t limit their choices to that. Remember, Cowher came to the Steelers by way of the Kansas City Chiefs, as the Steelers were then looking for Chuck Noll’s replacement to have Pittsburgh ties, in which that search included a certain college head coach who shares an office in the UPMC South Side complex – Dave Wannstedt. This time around, I don’t endorse a coach from the college ranks because of the level of adjustment to the pros (see Nick Saban), nor should it be a disposed NFL coach because of the probable baggage. But like in 1992, a coordinator either domestically or afar would do as the possible successor to Bill Cowher, but it would have to be a coordinator who won’t try to drastically change the Steelers’ historical offensive success to one that relies solely on one offensive facet.

DT: Fact. While I think sometimes it’s good to clean house and start with a fresh slate, I don’t think that would be best for the Steelers. Despite their dismal 8-8 season, they are still only one year removed from a Super Bowl Championship. The players all seem to respond well to Cowher and the way things have been run in the organization, so if they hire within, it’s safe to say that, for the most part, things will remain the same, and maybe the new figurehead will be just enough to spark this team back to championship form. Also, Whisenhunt and Steelers offensive line coach Russ Grimm are two very qualified candidates, and there doesn’t seem to be much else out there this year, so why would the Steelers look elsewhere when the solution seems to be right in their back yard?

3. After seeing all but one of the bowl games, this bowl season proved that the much-debated BCS system does indeed work.

DS: Fiction. You have to remember that Boise State has been successful for the past several years. Its matchup against Oklahoma was a game waiting to happen for years. But like Dick Vitale, I agree that March Madness is a whole lot more exciting than bowl games in which some depend more on sponsors for revenue than ratings. What I would propose is that each Division I-A team plays ten games, eight conference games and two non-conference games, and then play a 40 or 64-team tournament. Who knows how hot a team like Boise State can be against a sputtering team like, say, Florida State in a December elimination game? It’s at least time for that experiment.

DT: Fact. Say what you want about it, but the BCS does create some awesome games. There have been some great bowl games this year and that is in large part due to the way that the BCS ranks and places teams in bowls. While I wish the winners of those games got to play in an extended playoff tournament, the matchups still make it fun to watch. Just remember, with the way it was before the BCS, USC and Texas would have never met in the Rose Bowl last year – that matchup was only because of the BCS system. So while it is much debated, it has been good, but just not as good as a playoff could be.

4. With the addition of Allen Iverson, the Denver Nuggets are an instant contender in the Western Conference.

DS: Fiction. The Western Conference, for now, is dominated by Phoenix, Dallas and San Antonio, with the Lakers making a legitimate case for inclusion in that group. Even with Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets only won three playoff games in the last three playoffs. With Iverson, Denver is now a probable second-round team, but losing games to the Hornets and 76ers within the past few days does not help its case. The Nuggets are one strong rebounder away from the Western Conference elite, but I would say this-if the NBA Finals started next week, the Western Conference team would win. The NBA disparity has tilted out West due to inconsistency by talented Eastern Conference teams, but only the playoffs will tell.

DT: Fiction. Even though we haven’t seen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony (the league’s top two scorers) working together because of Anthony’s suspension, I still don’t think that the Nuggets are a title contender. It will be interesting to see how Iverson can share the ball once Anthony returns. If he is able to distribute the ball and put scoring on his backburner, they might be able to hang with teams like the Lakers and Suns. But the upper echelon teams in the West are just too deep and too solid all around.

5. The Penguins, currently 17-15-6 and two points out of the last playoff spot in the East, will make the NHL playoffs.

DS: Fact – but this is more of an estimate than money in the bank. The NHL is very wide open. When the Penguins’ young guns click, they are a scorching bunch. It’s just a matter of Michel Therrien’s team staying consistent and not being mired in mini losing streaks. Sidney Crosby has lately been playing like a man possessed, and if his teammates can be inspired by Crosby’s performance, they can elevate themselves to a five-through-eight seed. I think Crosby and his veteran teammates learned last year from watching other teams compete for the Stanley Cup. Expect Pittsburgh to have just enough gas to garner a playoff berth and then some.

DT: Fact. And while this may seem like a homer call, and last year, in this very column around the same time in the season, I said the Pens would sneak into the playoffs (to which they didn’t even come close), I really think they will be in the postseason. They are playing all-around hockey and seem to have finally bought into Therrien’s game plan. If Sidney stays hot and they get a solid performance from goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, things will fall into place, and I think the Pens can have enough firepower to at least finish eighth in the conference.