Cardiac Cane
Fansided

Remember That Time Brent Burns Beat Sidney Crosby In A Face Off?

By Chris Baker

Jan 7, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns (8) awaits the face-off against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 7, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns (8) awaits the face-off against the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Business tycoon and entrepreneurial genius Michael Scott once quoted Wayne Gretzky when he wrote “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” On a fateful day in 2022, Brent Burns didn’t miss his shot to beat Sidney Crosby on a face off to start the 3rd period, and in doing so secured the second 100% face off percentage season of his career.

Dec 18, 2022; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (52) defenseman Brent Burns (8) and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) watch the shot during the first period at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports face off
Dec 18, 2022; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (52) defenseman Brent Burns (8) and Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) watch the shot during the first period at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports /

Brent Burns boasts a career face off percentage of 45.5. Since breaking into the NHL in 2005, Sidney Crosby has a lifetime percentage of 52.2. Brent Burns has been “O’fer da season boys” in the circle 9 times in his career. Sidney Crosby, on the other hand, has 13 seasons where he was north of the 50% mark.

Brent Burns had a career high 9 face offs, all in one game, back in 2013 with the Sharks. Sidney Crosby has 2,781.55 times more than Burns in his entire career. In the previous five seasons, Burns has exactly 2 face offs. Crosby took 7 in the first period of that infamous game alone. He won 3 of them

If ever there was a showdown between the “haves and have nots” it is Brent Burns and Sidney Crosby meeting in the face off circle on that blustery January 14th to start the 3rd period. But with Carolina’s penalty killers on the ice down two men, and Sebastain Aho kicked out of the face off circle, the world tilted on it’s axis in favor of Brent Burns.

Even Michael Scott would have seen this thing of beauty and known that the turntables had turned even for the briefest of moment.

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