Crosby must resist the urge to rush back
Playoff run is tempting, but Penguins star should take it slow
The title defence had been going as smoothly as possible for Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Yes, they lost No. 1 goalie Matt Murray in the pregame warm-up on the opening night of the playoffs. But veteran Marc-Andre Fleury flawlessly stepped in to lead the Penguins to a 4-1 series win over the Columbus Blue Jackets and 2-0 start in the second round against the Washington Capitals.
And sure, the possibility of Kris Letang's return was snuffed out on Day 2 of the post-season when the Penguins announced their star defenceman had undergone surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck and would be lost for the remainder of the season. But a rejuvenated Justin Schultz admirably filled the void of Letang's absence.
With all that, there was Sid the Kid Crosby leading the way to six wins in seven games, getting by with a little help from his friends Evgeni Malkin, Phil Kessel, youngsters Jake Guentzel and Conor Sheary as well as Schultz and 36-year-old Ron Hainsey, playing in his first Stanley Cup playoffs after a whopping 907 regular-season outings.
After back-to-back wins in Washington to take a 2-0 series lead, many of us thought maybe the Penguins could become the first repeat champions since the Detroit Red Wings turned the trick in 1997 and 1998.
But the Penguins suffered a crushing blow in the first period of Game 3 overtime loss on Monday, when Crosby was darting toward the Capitals net. He was slashed violently on the upper right arm by Washington captain Alex Ovechkin, knocked off balance and then crushed in the head by a cross-check from Capitals defender Matt Niskanen, a former teammate of Crosby's in Pittsburgh.
Niskanen was given a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct, but there was no supplemental discipline from the NHL's player safety department. There may or may not have been intent on Niskanen's part to take out the game's best player. It was a bang-bang play and Niskanen likely didn't have time to determine it was an opportunity to rough up his stud opponent.
The concern now turns to Crosby's health. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan announced on Tuesday afternoon Crosby will miss Game 4 with a concussion. We all know Crosby's history of head injuries and if he missed six games early in the season recovering from a concussion that developed from a harmless incident in practice, it's anybody's guess on how long Crosby will need to recover from his latest hitch.
- Matt Niskanen won't be suspended for hit to Crosby's head
- Crosby risks long-term damage if not fully recovered
No. 87 was at the Penguins practice facility receiving treatment and seen in good spirits talking to his teammates and other Pittsburgh personnel.
"He's very upbeat," reported Sullivan, who also confirmed Sheary missed Game 3 with a concussion. "[Crosby's] very positive. We're hopeful we'll get him back in a timely fashion."
Crosby, 29, has been through this sort of setback before. He's approached his concussion problems with the same vigour he has when trying to improve an area in his game. He's not afraid to investigate and try different recovery medical methods for dealing with head injuries.
You hope Crosby takes the necessary time to recuperate. You hope the time of the year doesn't rush him back. He's enjoyed quite a three-year run, from winning 2014 Olympic Gold in Sochi to a 2015 world championship with Canada to a Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe MVP trophy last spring to leading Canada to a World Cup of Hockey victory last September.
As the World Cup tournament MVP, Crosby joined Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky as the only players to win the Conn Smythe, Hart Trophy and Canada Cup/World Cup MVP awards.
The Penguins have been through this before. Crosby is not far removed from his troubled times with head and neck injuries in 2011 and 2012. His problems began in back-to-back games on Jan. 1 and Jan. 5, 2011. He was at the top of his game back then, too, but was derailed by a headshot from then-Capitals forward David Steckel in the Winter Classic at Heinz Field.
Five days later he was run into the boards hard by Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman. Crosby hoped to return for the playoffs that spring, but suffered a setback while pushing himself in April. He wasn't back in action until Nov. 21, 2011, missing 68 games.
That comeback lasted only eight outings. He collided with linemate Chris Kunitz in the neutral zone late in a Dec. 5, 2011, game. It was later discovered that Crosby's issues went beyond his head. His agent, Pat Brisson, revealed in January 2012 that Crosby might have suffered fractures to two vertebrae in his neck. He missed 40 games before he returned in mid-March of that year.
With Crosby out of action, Malkin has been at his best. He has produced a remarkable 66 goals and 154 points with Crosby convalescing. But it should be noticed that the one and only playoffs Crosby missed with concussion problems was in 2011, when the Penguins choked away a 3-1 first-round series lead to lose in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Malkin missed the deciding game with an injury.
The best case scenario for the Penguins would be to somehow win two more games in this series and give Crosby the necessary timeline to mend. But the loss of No. 87 gives Ovechkin and the Capitals hope that maybe this time they can author a comeback and move on to the East final for the first time under Ovechkin's time with Washington.
There still is, however, much drama to play out in this saga.
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