Will The Pens Miss The Playoffs?

Many naysayers out there are already saying the Penguins' don't have a snowball's chance in hell of making it to the playoffs without the services of their young captain. If you are a regular reader, you already know that I am not one of them. But for anyone who isn't fully convinced, you shouldn't take my word for it. In an MSNBC.com article called "Agree or Disagree" (which I found by accident in the NBA section) Bill Clement explains why you should not write the Pens off so hastily:

Even though Crosby may not play again until mid-March, I still have confidence in the Penguins making it to the postseason. If Pittsburgh were a complete run-and-gun team that relied on Crosby's offense to win most games then there would be much cause for concern. But that's not who the Penguins are and what's more they are one of the top defensive teams in the Eastern Conference. And as long as a team is keeping pucks out of its net, it's going to have significant success. Crosby contributes everywhere, but it's hard to make a case that he is the reason the Penguins are such an excellent defensive team.

He'll be like a not-so-secret weapon in the playoffs when he comes back...

With Crosby out others will have a chance to play more, most notably Evgeni Malkin, who will move back to center. Expect Malkin to step up in Crosby's absence. His contributions should prove huge. The Penguins have quality talent on their roster and with Crosby sidelined, the door has opened for Malkin and others to take it upon themselves to keep the team winning.

Exactly. As I said before, Sid's absence has definitely been felt, but that does not mean it's the end of the Pens' season. There's a ton of young talent available to Coach Michel Therrien. It will be tough, but I have no doubt the Pens will make it to the playoffs. And then once Sid returns, the Pens will be unstoppable. I may be going out on a limb here, but I think Lord Stanley's Cup could be coming to Pittsburgh this year!

Pens v Thrashers (L 1-4)

Awful. It was simply an awful game for the Penguins. It was one of those games where you were left feeling ill at the end of it. The Pens worked so hard and played relatively well, but nothing seemed to go their way. And while the Pens had a good night keeping puck possession in the offensive zone, they took too many penalties, and Kari Lehtonen played an outstanding game. He robbed them more than a few times tonight.

Mr. Lehtonen, tear down this wall!

Not much happened in the first half of the first period. Then Bobby Holik scored after Ty Conklin blocked his initial attempt. Holik stayed with the puck and scored on the backhand. [Pens 0, Thrashers 1] Eric Boulton ran over Conks and knocked off his helmet as the goal was scored. An errant pass by the Thrashers that went to Evgeni Malkin led to some beautiful passing by Malkin and Darryl Sydor. Eventually, they got the puck to Petr Sykora, who fired one of many wicked, quick shots that Lehtonen wouldn't let cross the goal line. After a commercial break, we were told that Halifax Mayor Peter J. Kelly sent Sid a get well letter after a local paper suggested that he should do so. Then Jarrko Ruutu leveled Eric Perrin with a big hit.

Trouble started really brewing when Jeff Taffe high sticked Garnet Exelby in the face. There was blood, so the penalty was 4 minutes long. Geno was throwing his body all over the ice to defend the net. Jordan Staal ended up losing his stick and having to kick the puck to break up a play. Ex-Pen Mark Recchi slid into the boards after a hit (diving at its best). Mad Max Talbot actually laughed at Recchi for that one. With 35 seconds left in the penalty, Ilya Kovalchuk blasted the puck into the net all the way from the blue line. [Pens 0, Thrashers 2] The Pens got a power play with just over 2 minutes left in the period after Pascal Dupuis tripped Kris Letang, but they didn't score on the advantage. The first period ended with the Thrashers were enjoying a 2-goal lead.

Holik scores on Conklin (picture 1).

The second period was only 59 seconds in when Ken Klee was called for interference. Klee, you should know, took a puck to the face on 01-24-08 from a shot by Rangers pain-in-the-arse Sean Avery that required so many stitches that the doctors lost count. Geno was throwing his body all over the ice again (this time in an effort to keep possession), but they just couldn't get past the brick wall Lehtonen. The Pens were then dealt a huge blow when Ruutu was ejected for kneeing Kovalchuk - except that Ruutu didn't actually do it. He went to finish a check, Kovalchuk went to get out of the way, and their knees ended up meeting. Kovalchuk went down in pain. Steve McCarthy raced in to defend his team's star, though he didn't exactly fight like a man. Ruutu was bent over the wall in front of the Thrashers' bench whie McCarthy pounded on the back of his head. Kovalchuk left limping. He briefly returned to the game only to leave again just minutes later.

Kovalchuk won't be pointing his finger at any Penguins again for a while...

When the smoke cleared, McCarthy was given the following penalties: 2 minutes for roughing, 5 minutes for fighting, and 10 minutes for misconduct. Ruutu was given a 5 minute penalty for kneeing and then tossed for the night. It was a horrible call from the refs. The Pens and Thrashers played 4-on-4 for two minutes. The Thrashers were then supposed to have three full minutes with a man advantage, but with 1:40 left, the refs gave Holik an even-up penalty for slashing Malkin. Neither team scored. After hitting the goal post on a shot, Sergei Gonchar took a penalty for hooking. Geno had a nice shorthanded chance, but Lehtonen again denied him the goal. The Thrashers didn't score on the power play.

Ridiculous.

Brooks Orpik, playing left wing again tonight, sent the puck to Jonathan Filewich, but he couldn't get a piece of it. Nathan Smith, however, came in and had an open net shot. He put the puck into the net behind Lehtonen. BUT WAIT!!! What's this? He may have kicked it in the net?! The War Room in Toronto got the call... While we waited, we saw on the replay that Smith did kick the puck, but it was very clear that he was actually attempting to kick the puck to the blade of his stick. He missed his stick - but not the net. So technically that should be a goal. After waiting several minutes, we got the verdict: NO GOAL. Unreal. Smith was stripped of what would have been his 1^st NHL goal. The second period ended with the same score as the first period.

Holik scores on Conklin (picture 2).

I let my four dogs outside and came back to see that the Pens ended up beginning the third period with a power play. FSN Pittsburgh didn't show a replay of the infraction, so I'm not sure which Thrasher did what to end up in the box. All I know is that I came back inside with my boys to see Gonchar diving to attempt a poke check on Perrin. All he accomplished was helping to give Perrin a shorthanded breakaway shot, and (of course) Perrin promptly increased the Thrashers' lead by another goal. [Pens 0, Thrashers 3] The Pens never did end up scoring on that power play. The fans in the building then began to chant "CONK-lin, CONK-lin, CONK-lin, CONK-lin... YOU SUCK!" Classy. I'm not sure if the chant threw him off because not long afterwards, Jim Slater easily scored on him. [Pens 0, Thrashers 4] It was Slater's first goal of the season. Conks was pulled, and Dany Sabourin came in for relief. A little bit later there was some outstanding cycling from Staal, Erik Christensen, and Talbot. It directly led to a nice goal scored by Ryan Whitney. He finally got one past Lehtonen to ruin the chance for a shutout. [Pens 1, Thrashers 4] They still had more than half a period to work with, so I was hopeful...

Ex-Pen Chris Thorburn hugs Slater as though he got a game winning goal.
Settle down, chief - you were already killing us.

...but despite the Pens' best efforts, they just couldn't get another goal. They got another penalty, though, when Orpik was called for slashing. They upped the ante on the penalty kill. Whitney and Talbot went 2-on-1 towards the goal, but Lehtonen made the save like a champ. The Thrashers didn't score on this power play. With a last ditch effort in the last minutes of the game, Orpik managed to hit the goal post, but it didn't bounce in favor of the Penguins. The Pens lost - HARD. The Pens don't play again until Saturday. Hopefully, they'll shake this one off and get refreshed and ready to go for Saturday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

(NOTE: At the time I posted this, these were the only two photos of the game that were available. I'll add more shots in the morning - if they are available.)

UPDATE 01-31-08: New photos have been added.

Pens v Devils (W 2-4)

BIG SHOCKER: Coach Michel Therrien likes to change up the lines. Okay, I know - that's not exactly a newsflash. What is big news is that tonight, Pens' defenseman Brooks Orpik was moved to the fourth line - as the left winger. WOW.

To be perfectly honest with you, the first period was relatively uneventful. That is, until halfway through when Jordan Staal took a penalty for high sticking. Evgeni Malkin was out on the penalty kill. Ty Conklin made the initial save on a Devils shot, but he ended up lying on his stomach on the blue paint but not on the puck. Somehow Mike Rupp found a way to pop it up and over Conks to give the Devils the first score of the night. [Pens 0, Devils 1] Later, Kris Letang took a puck to his face. He fell down like he'd been shot (which is probably what it felt like) only to get back up and keep playing. He played for a good thirty seconds at least until the play was whistled down. As FSN Pittsburgh went to commercial, Letang was shown closeup. He was bleeding from his upper lip. He went down the runway to get stitches (and would return for the second period). This is why hockey players > me. If I got stitches, I'm pretty sure I would need at least a week to recover. GEEZ!

Rupp scored both Devils goals.

Just before the 2 minute mark, Jarrko Ruutu took a penalty for interference. The Devils did not score on their power play. With less than 5 seconds left in the first period, Patrik Elias took a shot that was blocked only by the goal post. The first period ended with the Devils up by a goal.

Less than two minutes into the second period, Staal muscled his way into the front of the net through traffic. Travis Zajac tried to get the puck out of danger, but he ended up banking the puck off John Oduya's skate and into the back of the net. Staal was given credit for the tying goal. [Pens 1, Devils 1] Conks made a great save on Elias just afterwards to keep the game tied. A 3-on-2 in favor of the Devils developed, but Conks made a great save on the sharp angle shot. Elias then high sticked Ryan Malone in the face, but no call was made. Erik Christensen later passed the puck to Ryan Whitney up in the slot. Whitney took a hard shot, but Martin Brodeur made a huge save to deny him the goal. Arron Asham then made a big hit on Letang. He was penalized because he brought up his elbow as he hit him. During the ensuing Penguins power play, John Madden tripped Malone, but again no call. The Pens didn't score on this power play. Zajac then almost had a breakaway, but Rob Scuderi stayed right with him and successfully stripped him of the puck.

Staal works to free the puck from Dainius Zubrus.

Then Lady Luck smiled on the Devils. Just off a faceoff, Rupp took a shot that bounced off Letang's chest and into the net just under the glove of Conks. [Pens 1, Devils 2] But the Pens were able to get it back a few minutes later when this happened: Brodeur passed the puck to Oduya. Oduya attempted to pass the puck and bank it off the boards behind the net, but the puck bounced off the boards and into the bottom of the rear of the net. Mad Max Talbot just happened to be right there. He was able to stop what he was doing and pass the puck out to Christensen, who was streaking in on Brodeur. In an instant, Christensen changed from the forehand to the backhand, which successfully fooled Brodeur. Christensen easily put it in the open net to tie the game. [Pens 2, Devils 2]

What a photo of Christensen's goal!!! You can really see how amazing the goal actually was in this picture. (Click to enlarge)

A mere 90 seconds later, Malkin passed the puck to Petr Sykora. Sykora was in the corner and surrounded by Devils. He then passed the puck to Malone, who was wide open. Malone had only Brodeur to beat - which he did. [Pens 3, Devils 2] With less than three minutes left in the second period, Brian Gionta rammed Jeff Taffe into the boards. Georges Laraque and Orpik both rushed in to defend their teammate but thankfully neither earned a penalty for their actions. Gionta was given a boarding penalty. He favored his knee as he went to the box. Taffe (fortunately) didn't seem to be hurt at all. The Pens did not score on this power play, and the period ended with the Pens up by a goal.

And what a great shot of the Pens celebrating Malone's first goal of the night!

The third period was much like the first period. There was a lot of up and down action, but nothing particularly noteworthy until another penalty was assessed. This time, however, the Devils were short a man (Sergei Brylin for hooking), and Malone scored by sending a bouncing puck into the net behind Brodeur. [Pens 4, Devils 2] Later in the period, Zach Parise was given a penalty for holding the stick. Fifty six seconds into the Penguins power play, Talbot was called for slashing (he broke the guy's stick!). Neither team scored on the 4-on-4 or their respective power plays.

Brodeur makes a beautiful kick save on Geno.

The Pens spent most of the third period playing hockey like the Devils usually play hockey. Malone twice just missed earning a hat trick, but for the most part the Pens were simply playing keep away. With just under 1:30 left in the game, Brodeur raced to the bench in favor of the extra attacker. While the Devils managed to hit the goal post, that would be the closest they would come to the net. The Pens won the game!

This was a HUGE division win. It's going to be a tight race from here on out, so hang on... Tomorrow night the Pens face Mark Recchi and the rest of the Thrashers at 7:00pm Eastern. GO PENS!!!!!!!!!

Sid On ESPN!

In a span of no more than 2 hours, I received four emails containing a link to this story. It's an ESPN feature on the Saint. (I know! ESPN covering hockey?! The sky isn't falling, I assure you.) It features a video of Sid and his teammates during their recent trip to the Pittsburgh Children's Hospital. What strikes me most about the clip is that it seems like Sidney is getting just as much, if not more joy from the visit as the sick children are.

It is astonishing to me that this kid is a multimillionaire, award winning, 20-year-old phenomenon, and yet he remains so grounded and so humble. It would be incredibly easy for anyone in his shoes to begin to buy into all the hype: Sidney Crosby is the face of the NHL! Crosby is "The Next One!" Sid the Kid is the best player in the world! That kind of talk could start to mess with someone's head. But somehow through it all, Sid understands that it is just that - talk. On that video, it is apparent that he is wise and mature beyond his years. He must have incredible parents. (You'll need to go to ESPN's website to view the clip; they don't allow embedding.)

Sid with a kid!

The story that accompanies the video covers all the things about Sid that you could possibly ever want to know. Seriously. EVERYTHING. It covers everything from the whereabouts of his pet (a dog named Sam who lives with his parents) to how he doesn't have time right now for dating (sorry, ladies, you're going to have to wait a while longer) and everything in between. There's entirely too much stuff in that article to discuss in one post here, but I do want to point out one anecdote in particular which involves his on-the-road roommate, Colby Armstrong:

"I'm going to throw him under the bus on that one. He loves Ellen DeGeneres," Crosby says. Right before a pregame nap? "No, it's right after. It's hilarious. To a T, we wake up from our nap and that show's coming on and she's dancing."

When Armstrong finds out Crosby has spilled the beans, Armstrong drags a reporter over to Crosby and announces loudly that he wants to do the interview over, that he's going to reveal Sid's affection for Chandler on "Friends." Crosby interrupts, revealing that not only does Armstrong love "Ellen" but he also likes to dance along to her show opening. The two players are in stitches.

[...]

Armstrong, not surprisingly, makes sure Crosby doesn't get any special treatment among the team. "Every little thing, I'm all over him about it. It's my only chance," Armstrong says. And Crosby gives as good as he gets.

For every comment Armstrong makes about the size of Crosby's butt ("It's kind of big"), Crosby will chide his friend about the way he eats and the noises he makes when he sleeps. "He rips me about the way I sleep because I'm a mouth breather," Armstrong says. "He rips me to my face in front of the whole team. Can you believe that?"

One question: Why is Army checking out Sid's ass?! And baby clothes in the locker?! Too funny! Big, big thanks to Friends of The Show Cassie C., Adrienne F., Alex M., and Ava H. who (in that order) each sent me the link to this story. :)

I'll leave you with one last laugh. Pensblog Adam sent me a link to this photo of Sidney immediately after he sustained his high ankle sprain. (And just so we're crystal clear here - the photo is NOT the funny part.) The funny part was the headline that accompanied it:

NHL Out Three To Five Weeks With Sprained Right Poster Boy

HA! What else would you expect from TheOnion.com?

East Cleans Up

The Eastern Conference won the Super Skills competition on Saturday night, and they managed to put the puck into the net with just over 20 seconds left in the third to take the lead and then win the All Star game last night, too. From NHL.com:

The Eastern All-Stars nearly blew a 5-1 first-period lead to the surging Western Conference. The East needed Carolina’s Eric Staal and the Bruins’ Marc Savard to score the game’s final two goals to tie and then take the lead.

[...]

In the opening 20 minutes, the East jumped out to a 5-1 lead as Staal, Montreal’s Andrei Markov, Washington’s Alex Ovechkin (two) and Buffalo’s Brian Campbell scored. The offensive tone was actually set by Columbus’ Rick Nash, who scored just 12 seconds into the game. That broke an All-Star record established by Ted Lindsay in 1950.

[...]

My sentiments EXACTLY.

San Jose’s Evgeni Nabokov was stellar in the second period, stopping all eight shots he faced to help the resurgent West get back into contention with goals from Nash and Anaheim’s Scott Niedermayer to cut the lead to 5-3 after two periods.

[...]

With the Western Conference pressing once again for the lead, Bruins’ Marc Savard, a former Thrasher who had heard it from his former hometown fans throughout the weekend, scored off passes from Campbell and Staal with 20.9 seconds left to win it for the East.

Staal was inexplicably named MVP over Nash, who earned a hat trick after scoring 12 seconds into the first period (an All Star record). For his efforts, Staal was given a Dodge minivan, which he mentioned that he might regift to his parents. ("I'll definitely be the favorite if I give them this!" he quipped.)

From left to right: Ilya Kovalchuk, Sergei Gonchar (w00t), Evgeni Malkin (w00t), Andrei Markov, and Alex Ovechkin represent the Eastern Conference in the Super Skills competition.

The Super Skills competition was revamped to add a little life to it. The best part of the night came in the shootout competition, which was judged by "celebrity" judges. The players were awarded points in the same manner figure skaters are awarded points. Emphasis was placed on the creativity of the shot, not whether the player scored the goal or not.

As much as I hate to admit it, Ovechkin was the clear winner here. He had a few attempts to show off. As he raced down the ice, he picked the puck up off the ice with the blade of his stick, bounced (dribbled?) it a few times, then tossed it up in the air and tried to bat it on goal like a baseball. The first time didn't work, and neither did the second try. For his third try, he repeated the above steps but tossed the puck several feet in the air on the last step. He then did a 360° spin and then tried to swat it in like a baseball. All three times he missed the puck completely on the last step (“I’m a terrible baseball player,” Ovechkin admitted later.), but what a showman! That would have been a highlight for the ages if he had made the goal. Even I almost forgot how much I dislike the guy - ALMOST. ;)

If you happened to catch the game, then you know our boys Evgeni Malkin (filling in for Sid), Sergei Gonchar, and Kris Letang did us proud, too. The break ends for the Pens tomorrow when the team travels to New Jersey to face the Devils. GO PENS!!!

All Star Games (Sans Sid)

Well, it's that time of year again...

I know, I know... That preview is a little painful for us to watch because it was (quite obviously) shot prior to Sir Sidney's injury. And since he's going to be out for 6 to 8 weeks, Sid won't be playing in the All Star games (again, quite obviously).

However, if you tune in anyways, you'll get to see something new. This year the NHL YoungStars game will be part of the SuperSkills competition. A few Penguins will be participating in the events this year. Two of our young Pens were named to the YoungStars team:

Kris Letang and Tyler Kennedy are NHL YoungStars.

The Penguins teammates were selected to participate in the event, in which the eight-player Eastern and Western Conference YoungStar teams will face off in a new three-on-three event as part of the Dodge/NHL SuperSkills competition on Saturday, Jan. 26, at Philips Arena in Atlanta at 7 p.m. The YoungStars will be shooting against goaltenders named to participate in the NHL All-Star Game the following day.

Unfortunately, Kennedy won't be heading to Atlanta. He has come down with a case of mononucleosis. But both of our Russian superstars are on the Eastern Conference team:

Sergei Gonchar and Evgeni Malkin are from the same country and share the same mailing address.

They also have something else in common – they are All-Stars.

The two Russians head to Atlanta this weekend to take part in the NHL All-Star Game. The Penguins duo will represent the Eastern Conference All-Stars at Philips Arena. It will mark the first time the Penguins will have two players in the game since 2001, when Mario Lemieux and Alexei Kovalev faced each other in the North America vs. World format in Denver.

Malkin, of course, was chosen to take The Kid's place after he was forced to drop out because of his high ankle sprain. (FYI: Sid was the leading vote getter for the second year in a row.) Now I know not everyone thinks the All Star games are worth watching, but I do. The All Star games give the pros a chance to show off their fancy moves without worrying about getting two points. And not to rub salt in the wound, but just tell me where else are you ever going to get a chance to see Sidney Crosby playing on the same team as Alexander Ovechkin? It was certainly entertaining to see Sid and Alex put the "rivalry" aside and play for the same team last year. The two of them even carried a cake to birthday boy Brendan Shanahan during the All Star games weekend last year. Remember this? It was one of the first videos I posted when I started writing for TSCS:

While we'll miss the teaming of Sid and Alex this year, there are still plenty of reasons to watch. AOL Fanhouse contributer, Hockey Rants writer, and TSCS founder Jes gives us his thoughts on the All Star games:

I think the shine has worn off of the All-Star Game, over time, because seeing the biggest stars is no longer as special as it once ways.

In the days before we had massive TV and internet exposure, seeing some of the biggest stars from the 'other' conference was a rare treat.

When I was a kid, I didn't get to see Mario Lemieux so much because only our local games were televised plus 1-2 Hockey Night in Canada matchups. Now? Even in Vancouver, I get to see lots of Sid and the Penguins.

Well, except Sid won't be at the All-Star Game this time :(

Still, I am looking forward to the re-vamped Skills Competition, as we'll get to see the new shootout competition that is similar to the NBA's Dunk competition. It'll be great to see what weird moves the NHLers can pull off when they aren't under pressure to win an actual game.

The All Star games will be shown on the Versus network all weekend. Click the banner below for all the details. It's the only hockey fix you'll be able to get all weekend! :)

Pens v Flyers (L 3-4)

I had a headache before this game began - I ended up with a migraine at the end of it. It was another surreal meeting between these two cross state rivals. For a good recap, check out Empty Netters or ThePensblog.com. For the record, here are some of the things that infuriated me most about last night's game:

• Bob Errey referred to Danny Briere as Michel Briere. He apologized for it but then laughed about it! UNCOOL, Bob. Uncool.


• In Philadelphia, what is a penalty to one team apparently is not a penalty to the other. [sarcasm] Great job, refs! [/sarcasm]


• Anyone who dares to compare Georges Laraque's "hit" on Steve Downie to Downie's hit on Dean McAmmond will be banned for life from TSCS. The two incidents have nothing in common save the fact that Downie was involved in both. McAmmond was left unconcious following Downie's hit; Downie came back minutes later and was involved in a fight with Ryan Stone (see below) following Laraque's hit. For that matter, Paul Steigerwald should be ashamed of his sympathetic tone towards Downie when comparing these two incidents. It was beyond disgusting, and I'm sure McAmmond, who suffered a concussion and a shoulder injury as a result of the vicious hit from Downie, would take issue with these incidents being compared as equal. (By the way, don't for one second think that I'm condoning what Laraque did. I'm merely pointing out that the severity of this hit pales in comparison to Downie's hit on McAmmond.)
  


• Immediately following the Laraque/Downie incident, Flyers coach John Stevens sent Riley Cote in to goad Ryan Malone into a fight. Malone smartly didn't fall for it. What was Stevens trying to do, turn this already tense game into a repeat of the December 11 game? What a classless move by Stevens for setting it up and by Cote for agreeing to be the thug.
  


• Downie, who just a short time before had been dazed and confused on the ice, and Stone got in that aforementioned fight. Seth from Empty Netters sums it up nicely:
  

  Downie and Stone decide to go at it at the Penguins blue line. They throw a couple of wild punches before Stone's jersey is pulled over his head. Downie wrestles him to the ice and throws a couple punches. Not only did Downie throw punches at Stone as he lay on the ice, he wore a visor and his fight strap didn't appear to be tied down. Shouldn't he get kicked out for that?

  Apparently that rule doesn't apply to the Flyers when they're in Philadelphia. Oh, and that 20-game suspension obviously didn't teach him much, so why even bother?
Late Edit: I missed it (sleeping will do that), but Downie was ejected for the fight strap thing - 10 minutes later.

The Pens will face the Flyers again on February 10. Hold on tight because it's bound to be another ruckus. This time it will be at the Mellon Arena.

The All Star games are being held this weekend. If you didn't already hear, Evgeni Malkin will be taking Sidney's spot on the roster for the Eastern Conference, though I'm not sure why he didn't have a spot of his own already...

Pens v Flyers (in progress)

My apologies, folks. There will be no recap from Snoop tonight. I'm getting a head cold, and I have a wicked sinus pressure headache right now. My head just keeps pounding so I'm going to take some medicine and go right to bed. There are some good sites in our blogroll that do great recaps. Check out one of those sites for a recap. I'll post a mini recap sometime tomorrow.

So Just What Was Sid Looking At?

Monday's Penguins Q&A with Dave Molinari (The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) dealt with - what else? - Sid's injury. A reader named Kim from Canada asked Molinari if Sid's full-on style of play is a bit too reckless. Molinari's response follows:

Crosby doesn't leave his feet, whether it's to go into a full-fledged sprawl or simply to drop to one knee, because he's interested in making it into the day's highlights show. He does it when he believes that's the way to maximize his chances of making a particular play, usually to capitalize on a scoring opportunity.

As Crosby discovered (or perhaps was reminded) last Friday night, there are risks to leaving one's feet, but it's worth noting that he didn't do it voluntarily, having had his skates taken out from under him. Remember, Tampa Bay defenseman Paul Ranger picked up a slashing minor on the play.

Also, there did not appear to be anything particularly ominous about the sequence that ended with Crosby getting a high ankle sprain. He wasn't moving particularly fast -- there have been times when he's hit the boards so hard, one half-expects him to burst into flames -- and seemed to have ample time to prepare for the impact he knew was coming.

Unfortunately for Crosby, there are indications his focus shifted as he was nearing the boards, quite possibly because he wanted to see how the play that was now behind him finished, and his right skate ended up in an awkward position when he made contact.

That was a painful (for Crosby) and costly (for him and the team) lesson, but don't expect it to change the way Crosby goes about his work. Next time he's in a game, he'll leave his feet in a nanosecond if he believes that's the right play to make.

I was originally going to quote a section of Molinari's response, but in light of what my husband saw on television yesterday, I thought I should print it in its entirety. You see, being that I do live in the dead center of Pennsylvania, I am fortunate enough (or unfortunate - depending on your point of view) to get T.V. stations from both the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia markets. Yesterday, he was watching a replay of the Flyers/Devils game. The intermission report featured a segment about Sir Sidney's injury. One of the sportscasters made the comment that Sid went down because he wasn't paying attention to what was in front of him, which is 100% true. You can clearly see in the video that Sid's head is turned away from the boards (until he hits them, of course). The sportscaster then went on to offer his own opinion as to why Sid was looking back: because he wanted to make sure he had drawn the penalty on the play. (I wish I had a link or a YouTube clip of the segment for you. If anyone has it, let me know.)

Now, as we establish at the top of the page in the longest header on the Internet, we don't know Sid. At all. Never met him. Ever. BUT I can tell you that the world's best hockey player is NOT going to risk injury checking to see if he's drawn a penalty. This is a kid that will take a high stick and ignore it to keep cycling the puck on a delayed penalty. He's certainly not going to look back at the ref for a penalty signal while speeding towards the boards on his arse. Any hockey player worth his salt knows that he is extremely vulnerable when he is off his feet. All control of forward motion is lost. Sid may be a lot of things... Stupid isn't one of them. For the record, I'm with Molinari: Most likely Sid was looking back to keep track of the whereabouts of that puck.

Now here's something for a laugh before our big game against the Flyers tonight. First, I'm sure you remember this quote from Andrew Ference:

Jarome in my books is a better hockey player than Crosby because he does those things. He will fight, he will lay his body on the line and take the hit and not complain if someone hits him and stuff like that. The superstars of the league should have to do that because they're hockey players, they're not ice-skating princesses. Hockey is an emotional game, you have to stand up for yourself. You have to stand up for your actions. If you punch somebody in the face, then you should fight, that's the way hockey is suppose to be.

Well, it inspired good Friend of The Show Cassie C., who apparently has waaaay too much time on her hands (Just kidding! You know I ♥ you, girl!), to create this:



Remember that game time is 7:00pm Eastern tonight! GO PENS!!!!!!!

High Ankle Sprains Explained

I'll get to the high ankle sprain in a minute, but first I wanted to let our regular Friends of The Show know that I've created a resource center for all the updates posted here on TSCS regarding Sidney's ankle injury. I put it together yesterday because we're getting a lot of new readers who are finding the site by searching "Sidney Crosby injury." (I wanted to make it easier for them to search for the information they're trying to find.) You can visit the Sidney Crosby Injury Monitor by clicking on the picture of the bandaged ankle on the right side of your screen.

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So what exactly is the difference between a plain old ankle sprain and a high ankle sprain, you ask? Well, Bob Newell of The Pittsburgh-Tribune Review created this graphic to better explain the difference:



I then found this article on USGyms.net that explains the high ankle sprain and treatments for the condition in much greater detail. I've quoted the most important points for you:

A "high" (syndesmotic) ankle sprain is caused by an outward twisting of the foot and ankle. This is opposite of a typical ankle sprain where the foot and ankle are twisted inward. Football, soccer and basketball are the most common sports associated with a high ankle sprain. Proper stretching and training may help prevent some "high" (syndesmotic) ankle sprains.

[...]

Most "high" (syndesmotic) ankle sprains can be treated in a manor similar to typical ankle sprains with PRICE. P: Protection from further injury via a splint, R: Rest, I: Icing, C: Compression wrapping, E: Elevation. Syndesmotic sprains, however, will require much longer to heal and will also need more physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the ankle.


Rehabilitation can begin a few days after the injury, when the swelling starts to go down. There are three goals to aim for in rehabilitation: 1. Restore motion and flexibility, 2. Restore strength, 3. Restore balance.

[...]

Return to sports only after you have met these goals:

1. You have full range of motion in all directions (up and down, side to side, and in and out).
2. You have good strength in all muscles around the ankle.
3. You have good balance.
4. You have no pain or swelling with exercise or activity.

Sidney is expected to be out 6 to 8 weeks, but don't be shocked if it ends up taking longer than that. These types of injuries are very unpredictable. Healing requires time and rest. It will undoubtedly test Sid's patience (and ours!), but the most important thing is that he doesn't come back too hastily. I'm pretty confident the Penguins' medical staff will not let that happen. And who knows - perhaps he'll surprise us all with a speedy 4-week recovery period! I know, I know: It's not likely, but a girl can hope, right? Just keep your fingers crossed...

Sid leaves yesterday's press conference without crutches or even a walking cast!
(Photo courtesy The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

The Pens face the Flyers tomorrow night at 7:00pm Eastern. GO PENS!!! Get another win for your sidelined captain!!! :)

Video - Sid's Injury Update Press Conference

HA! They're keeping me busy today! Here is the video of the press conference:

Sid Talks About His Injury

Today Sidney spoke with The Associated Press regarding his prognosis:

Sidney Crosby’s high ankle sprain will force him to miss Sunday’s NHL All-Star game and six to eight weeks of the season, a major setback that means the Pittsburgh Penguins must play most of their remaining schedule without the league’s marquee player.

“I was hoping three to four weeks would be the most,” Crosby said, talking Tuesday for the first time since he was hurt.

The Saint talks to the press.

Crosby said he must be careful not to rush back and “tweak it a lot, and then we’re back to square one. ... Right now, it’s all about healing.”

Team physician Charles Burke confirmed the injury was a high ankle sprain, but Crosby said there was no bone damage, which would have meant an even longer layoff.

“It hasn’t sunk in yet,” the 20-year-old Crosby said of the injury, the worst he’s had since he began his hockey career. “It’s going to be mentally tough as we go along [and I can’t play].”

We all feel your pain, Sid.

“The pain has eased a little as it goes along,” said Crosby, who can’t do his normal conditioning and strength-building routine while he is hurt.

“But I can’t go into the dressing room pouting, or be in a grumpy mood,” Crosby said. “I can’t be coming in every day like that. I can’t feel sorry for myself. I have to be there to support the team.”

And the fans will be supporting the Pens while you're gone right along side you, Sid!!! This will be the longest break from hockey Sid's ever had. (Prior to this, the longest break came when he didn't play for two weeks with a shoulder injury in his days before he was a Penguin.)

Injury News - It's Not Good

This was just posted on the Penguins' website:

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby will be sidelined six to eight weeks due to a high ankle sprain.


Crosby was re-evaluated by Pittsburgh Penguins team doctor Chip Burke on Tuesday morning and further testing confirmed his high ankle sprain. Crosby suffered the injury in the first period of the Jan. 18 against Tampa Bay.

Wow.

Pens v Caps (L 5-6 SO)

We'll have to wait until tomorrow for more word on Sid's ankle. Christine Simpson of the Versus network reported that Sid will be seeing Dr. Chip Burke tomorrow. Dr. Burke will be giving Sid an MRI. Keep your fingers crossed!!!

Tonight the Pens faced the Caps at the Mellon Arena. There's no love lost between these two teams, and after Alex Ovechkin fired a shot early on, he and Darryl Sydor had a few words (and a few shoves). The Pens' first good chance came from their top line of Petr Sykora, Evgeni Malkin, and Ryan Malone, but Malone shot the puck just wide of the goal. Four and a half minutes into the first period, after Jordan Staal, Erik Christensen, and Mad Max Talbot cycled the puck for quite a while, Talbot came out of the corner with a wrister to give the Pens the lead. [Pens 1, Caps 0] Versus kept showing closeups of Ovechkin. He is now missing one of his front teeth (when did that happen?!). Geno took a shot that was stopped by Olie Kolzig, but the Pens got a power play when Alexander Semin was called for hooking. Kolzig made some saves that kept the Pens from scoring on the advantage. About this time, Versus cut to a shot of a nattily dressed Sidney Crosby taking in the game from his landlord/boss Mario Lemieux's luxury box. (I would sell my SOUL right now for the tickets to the luxury suite that is owned by the company my husband works for...)

The Pens are cheered on by their injured captain.

Kolzig attempted to clear the puck, but he hit new Penguin (called up recently from the Wilkes Barre Scranton Baby Pens) Chris Minard in the chest. Minard was able to keep the puck in play, but it didn't lead to a goal. Later, Tomas Fleischmann found himself alone in front of Dany Sabourin. He went to Sabou's five hole for the tie. [Pens 1, Caps 1] Later, Kolzig jumped halfway out between the crease and the blue line to smother the puck and prevent the Pens from scoring. Nicklas Backstrom was then called for hooking Talbot, but the Pens didn't score on the power play. With 3:56 left in the period, Ovie powered a shot that hit Sabou in the belly and popped back out right to Koslov, who buried it. [Pens 1, Caps 2] Less than a minute later, after Malkin and Malone struggle to get the puck out from the boards, Malkin sent one home with a backhander to tie it up again. [Pens 2, Caps 2] Christensen took a page out of the Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin book of puck handling as he danced around the Caps' defensemen, but Kolzig made the save. Then the most hilarious thing happened: Geno was playing like a man on fire (again), and Ovie lined him up for a devastating hit. Now anyone who's watched the Pens for more than 2 games knows that Geno has a sort of hyper-awareness of his surroundings. He made a spinning move to keep control of the puck while simulateously dodging the brunt of the hit by Ovechkin. Ovie went flying full force into the boards. Play continued until Ovie and Geno began to get physical with one another. They had to be separated by the refs. With just seconds left in the period, Tom Poti and Jarrko Ruutu have to be separated, too. The first period ended with the teams tied at 2 goals each.

The second period started with Ruutu in the box. He was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for apparently yelling at the refs following his scuffle with Poti. Ovechkin makes him pay by popping the puck up and over Sabou's shoulder. [Pens 2, Caps 3] Then Brooks Laich was called for holding Christensen's stick. A mere 16 seconds into the power play, Geno went top shelf to tie the game. [Pens 3, Caps 3] Later, Semin was called for high sticking Kris Letang in the face. Less than 30 seconds into this power play, Ryan Whitney passed the puck diagonally from the blue line to Sykora, who shuffled it in the open net. [Pens 4, Caps 3] At this point, the crowd at the Mellon began a "KOLzig, KOLzig!!!" chant. After coming back from commercial at about the 12:30 mark, there was this weird yodeling going on in the background. I have no idea what this noise was. (If you were there and you know what it was, tell us about it in the comments section.) Ovechkin then sent a pass from Backstrom into the back of the net to tie the game. [Pens 4, Caps 4] After this fourth goal in 13 shots, Sabou is pulled and replaced by Ty Conklin. Then Christensen burst past everybody, but Kolzig made a good pad save. Bodies were flying everywhere. This was a high scoring, hard hitting game.

Conklin comes in for Sabou.

Rob Scuderi was called for hooking. The Caps gave good effort but did not score on the advantage. The game took a break when the glass behind Conks broke. Then Whitney was called for hooking. A shot was taken on Conks, which he blocked. The rebound went to the Penguins. Malone ended up taking it full speed ahead for what should have been a shorthanded chance, but Mike Green interfered with the play. He was given a penalty for his infraction. Geno made a sweet move to get around three defenders. He passed the puck to Talbot, who was poke checked. With 33 seconds left in the period, Conks made a HUGE pad save on Semin to keep the game tied. Just as the period was ending, Donald Brashear went to make a hit on Staal. Staal saw him coming, however, and stood his ground. It must have shifted Brashear's momentum because Staal remained standing as Brashear went down in a heap. It was FANTASTIC!!!

Geno was a scoring machine... (2G, 1A for the night)

Both teams played a little tighter in the third period. Malkin had a breakaway chance, but Kolzig stopped and froze the puck. Then Ovechkin had a chance, but Conks stopped and froze the puck. Then, just as a Capital (I didn't see who) scored a goal, the ref washed it out because just a fraction of a second prior, he had called another player for a Capital penalty. Twenty seconds into the Pens' power play, Sergei Gonchar blasted a shot from the blue line that went up and over Kolzig's shoulder. Kolzig cried foul, however, saying the puck was put in with a high stick. The refs called the War Room in Toronto. They spent about 5 minutes before we got word that the goal stood and was actually scored on a deflection by Malone. [Pens 5, Caps 4] The crowd began taunting Kolzig again. The Penguins were given a delayed penalty (Geno for tripping Ovie). Both Conks and Malone dove to make a save. The Caps didn't score on their power play. Semin then slewfooted one of the refs as Conks was being called for delay of game. New Penguin (also up from the WBS Baby Pens) Jonathan Filewich served the penalty for his goalie. The Caps didn't capitalize on this advantage, either. Then Staal was called for holding the stick. With less than five minutes left in the period (and only about 30 seconds left in the power play), Koslov banked the puck off the goal post to tie the game. [Pens 5, Caps 5] The third period ended and went into overtime.

...but so was Ovechkin. (2G, 1A + the game winning goal in the shootout)

Sykora fired a shot early in the OT, but it went just wide. Poti was given a penalty for slashing Staal. During the 4-on-3 OT power play, the Caps took another penalty when John Erskine took a stupid penalty for hooking Geno. When this happens, it automatically goes to 5-on-3. Pittsburgh called a timeout, but it didn't help. Somehow, the Caps found a way to keep the Pens from capitalizing on the 2 man advantage, despite some wicked shots from both Malkin and Gonchar. It went to a shootout:

Christensen -0
Koslov - 0
Letang - 0
Ovechkin - 1
Ruutu (yes, Jarrko Ruutu) - 1
Semin (with the game on his stick) - 1

Though they ultimately lost the game, the Penguins did earn a point, and they proved once again that they are indeed still a threat despite the loss of their MVP-Art Ross-Pearson winning captain. The Penguins next meet the Philadelphia Flyers (a team they have yet to beat this season) on Thursday at 7:00pm Eastern. Check back here for more updates on Sid's ankle. GO PENS!!!!!!

Another Injury Update

Well, folks - and we all knew this was coming - Sid was placed on the injured reserve list today. The status change was made retroactive to the date he was injured (01-18-08). It is a formality that means he will be out for at least seven days.


With a high ankle sprain, however, you can reasonably expect him to be out anywhere from 4 weeks (like Max Talbot) to 8 weeks (like Marc-Andre Fleury). Here is the latest news on his condition from The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

Sidney Crosby should know soon how much time he will miss with an ankle injury.

Crosby, the Penguins' captain, will be re-evaluated by team doctors Tuesday, and the club is optimistic it will receive a prognosis for his expected recovery from a high right ankle sprain.

I'll post the prognosis as soon as it becomes available. The Pens face the Caps tonight at 7:30pm Eastern. The game will be broadcast on the Versus network. GO PENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Something To Waste Time On A Sunday

Good Friend of The Show Loser Chris pointed this story out to me: Sidney's game worn Winter Classic jersey was sold at auction for - [*GULP*] - $45,000!!! Um... That's more than I paid for both cars I've owned (both were brand new) PUT TOGETHER!!! Wow.

Those are some pricey threads!

Speaking of the Winter Classic, the guys from The 2-Man Advantage were there talking to fans and tailgating in the parking lot before the game. It's the best look I've seen so far of what it was really like out there:

And finally today, remember how I told you about FSN airing a segment called "The Best of Mic'd Up" during an intermission at the game in Atlanta? Well, Good Friend of The Show Alex M. found the video for us:

Still no word on Sid's condition. Once there is a press release, I'll post it here as soon as I can. The Pens play the Caps tomorrow night. GO PENS!!!

Pens v Canadiens (W 2-0)

Before I get started, I want to take a minute to thank all of you for helping our new Friend Gina get pictures of her daughters with Sidney and Colby Armstrong. You guys are the best!!! Also, I want to give a shout out to the Thrashers fans who helped pick up on this quest, as well as to Seth of Empty Netters for pitching in to get the call out there. I am sure the little girls in question are glad they now have photos of themselves with our Penguins superstars. BIG THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED! :)

Now on to tonight's game: Coach Michel Therrien shook up the lines in response to not having Sidney available. Dany Sabourin got the start for the Pens, while Cristobal Huet was in between the pipes for the Canadiens. Without Sidney, the Penguins were 0W-2L-2OT at the start of this game. Just before the puck dropped, Bob Errey said hello to Sid who was most likely resting and watching the game at home (or "couchside" as Errey put it). A mere 14 seconds into the game, Sid's best friend and on-the-road roommate Colby Armstrong is sent flying into the boards after Roman Hamrlik drilled his shoulder into him. Army hit the boards while on his backside with his legs in the air. For a second, we breathed a sigh of relief that his legs didn't hit the boards, but that feeling wouldn't last - he didn't get up and began writhing in obvious pain. The trainers made their way out to him, and after a few minutes, he got up and made his way to the locker room under his own power. Later, we would learn that he was complaining that his "ass" (his word, not mine - haha) was what hurt. He wouldn't return to the game after suffering a hip contusion (bruise).

Kovalev controls the puck.

Evgeni Malkin played the entire game like a man possessed. He singlehandedly dominated the game. Sabou was a close second with 31 saves, but Geno was the man tonight. He played well both offensively and defensively. (Oddly, Geno was NOT one of the night's stars. Mike Komisarek, Huet, and Sabou got the third, second, and first stars, respectively. He was definitely robbed.) Georges Laraque earned the night's first penalty for elbowing. On the Canadiens' power play, Rob Scuderi made a HUGE save when Sabou was on the wrong side of the net. Then Sabou made a great glove save on Christopher Higgins to keep the Canadiens from scoring on their power play. Later, Alex Kovalev shot a rebound from the side that Sabou was just barely able to keep from crossing the goal line. After some incredible puck handling, Georges Laraque backhanded the puck from behind the net to Jeff Taffe, who was in front of the net. Taffe blasted it in the goal so hard that the puck popped out so fast that we weren't sure if it went in or not until the players started celebrating. [Pens 1, Canadiens 0] The Canadiens had several good chances, but Sabou made several better saves. One in particular saw Sabou poke checking Michael Ryder just before he could get a shot on goal. Despite Ryder's good play, the Canadiens' fans booed him for his efforts. (Apparently he's not playing well enough for them.) The Canadiens get away with a slash, and the first period came to an end with Komisarek and Jarrko Ruutu going at it.

Laraque and Ruutu celebrate Taffe's goal after a fantastic shift by the Pens' fourth line.

Surprisingly, Ruutu and Komisarek weren't penalized for their scuffle. The second period began with the standard 5-on-5 play until Hamrlik was cited for interference on Ruutu, who may have exaggerated it a bit to sell it. The Pens didn't score on the advantage. Then, one of the most incredible plays of the season happened. Geno got control of the puck behind Sabou and went streaking down the wing. He tapped the puck to Petr Sykora so he could get around a man, then Sykora passed it right back to Malkin. Finally, he passed the puck to Sergei Gonchar. He took a shot on Huet, but Huet made the save. Even though it didn't end with a goal, it was amazing to watch Geno go coast-to-coast through everyone. I bet Sidney was proud. ;) Later, Tom Kostopoulos took a cheap shot on Ruutu. As the play got nastier, Malkin got better. He headlined the puck to Sykora, who was in deep, for a breakaway chance. Sykora took a quick, hard shot that Huet blocked. Sykora then tried to put the rebound into the net, but Huet stopped that shot, too. A little later, the Canadiens developed a 2-on-1. Sykora backchecked nicely to break up the play.

Laraque looks like he's up to something here, doesn't he?

Erik Christensen, who returned from several absences due to illness and then the death of his grandfather, was called for slashing. On the Canadiens' power play, the Canadiens' developed a 3-on-1 against Darryl Sydor. Sydor made a great move when he lifted the stick of the man with the puck to break up the play. Later, Ruutu drew another penalty on Mark Streit for hooking after Streit hauled Ruutu down from behind, but for some reason the ref also gave Ruutu a penalty - for diving. It was a bad call. If he earned a diving penalty tonight, it would have been in the first period. No call was made on that play, and I got the feeling that this call was the refs trying to make up for missing that. Neither team scored on the ensuing 4-on-4. With just a couple of minutes left in the second, Geno blocked two shots then took the puck the length of the ice for a shot. Huet blocked it, and Errey shouted, "Don't be blocking shots, Evgeni!!! We need you!!!" Truer words were never spoken! With less than a minute left in the period, Tomas Plekanec was given two minutes in the box for unsportsmanlike conduct. I'll be honest with you - I didn't see what happened. FSN went to commercial and when they came back, Plekanec was in the box. During the ensuing abbreviated power play, Huet made a spectacular save on a shot by Ryan Whitney. With 11 seconds left in the period, Gonchar gave the puck away at center ice. Malkin dove onto his stomach and extended his stick all the way out to poke check the puck away and prevent a shot on Sabou. UNREAL. The second ended with the same score as the first.

Sabou = Tonight's First Star

The third period began with still just under a minute left on the penalty to Plekanec. The Pens didn't get a goal on this advantage, either. Sabou had another big save when he stopped Higgins from getting the puck over the goal line. Higgins kept chopping away at it, but Sabou didn't budge. Ruutu flew down to steal the puck in the Canadiens' zone. It lead to at least a minute of puck possession for the Pens. Finally, Malkin blasted a one-timer so hard that it broke the blade of a Canadiens player's stick. Then Mathieu Dandenault was given a tripping penalty after he took Geno down. The Pens looked pretty bad on their power play. The Canadiens had more shorthanded chances than the Pens had power play chances. Max Talbot and Taffe both ended up in separate scrums. The Pens didn't score on the power play. The game kept getting nastier. Errey said, "They're mucking it up!!!"

Sykora is sooooo close.

Sykora picked off a pass from Kovalev and shot the puck. Geno was in the front of the net, but Huet made the save. Komisarek then lined up and leveled Malkin as he was streaking down center ice. Malkin got up and appeared a little dazed, but he didn't leave the ice and wasn't hurt. On the same shift, Komisarek then drilled Talbot into the boards. Later, Malkin swooped into the Canadiens' zone to steal the puck. He and Ryan Malone both get shots on goal, but both are stopped by Huet. Sabou made a shaky (but nonetheless effective) save on Kovalev. With 1:24 left in the game, Huet was pulled. Malkin eventually got control of the puck and sent it down towards the empty net - but THE PUCK HIT THE GOAL POST AND DIDN'T GO INTO THE NET. It seems like Malkin can't buy a goal right now! With seconds left to go, Malkin powered from several feet behind to beat Streit to the puck. He takes a shot and FINALLY gets a reward for his hard work for the night. He scored the empty net goal with 12 seconds left in the game. [Pens 2, Canadiens 0] The clock ticked down and Sabou earned a shutout in his first game in almost a month. Coach Therrien met the team at the entrance to the runway for a congratulatory glove bump for a job well done in this first game without the man who has had a hand in 50% of the Pens' goals so far this season. This win was huge. It will be quite a morale booster for a team that is missing several of its key players because of injuries. As the Coach said, "We will battle through." Amen to that, Coach!!!

GENO FINALLY SCORES!!!

Before I go, I want you to check out this analysis of the Pens' current situation done by Good Friend of The Show Loser Chris from Taking One For The Team. He takes an in depth look at both the best case and the worst case scenarios the Pens will be facing now that Sid, Mark Eaton, Gary Roberts, and Marc-Andre Fleury are all out indefinitely. As you can probably tell by now, I'm a glass-is-half-full kind of gal, so I'm going to continue to believe that the best case scenario is what's going to happen!!! :)

The Pens will face the Washington Capitals on Monday night at 7:30pm Eastern. GO PENS & Get Well Soon, Sid!!!

An Injury Update

First, here's the most recent report from The Associated Press regarding Sid's high ankle sprain, which he sustained in last night's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning:

The Pittsburgh Penguins won't know for at least a few more days how long star center Sidney Crosby will be out of their lineup with a high ankle sprain.

Crosby's sprained and swollen right ankle was re-examined Saturday by the team's medical staff, a day after he was injured, but no prognosis for his return will be made until the swelling subsides. Penguins doctors plan to examine the ankle again sometime early in the week.

Because such sprains commonly sideline an athlete for a month or more, Crosby is all but certain to miss the Jan. 27 NHL All-Star game in Atlanta.

The following is a clip of the incident. Make sure you haven't eaten for at least a half an hour before viewing the clip or else you may end up with a terrible case of indigestion:

The Penguins all realize that they'll all have to work a little bit harder in Sidney's absence. Here's what the Coach and some of Sid's teammates had to say about it:

"It's a huge loss," coach Michel Therrien said of Crosby. "He's the heart, our leader. We are going to face adversity and we are going to have to battle through it. A lot of guys are going to have to pick it up."


"I have been trying as hard as I can, but I'm going to try my best," a downcast Evgeni Malkin said, speaking through an interpreter. "Right now, since we lost our leader and our captain, I am going to try to do maybe a little bit more and make sure we are winning games. I will try to be the leader of this team."


"He's the best player in the world. You can't replace him," defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "He takes a lot of abuse the way he plays and battles right through it. We knew when he didn't come back it had to be something rather serious. But you can't feel sorry for yourselves. You have to move on and battle through it."


"He can expect frustration," Maxime Talbot said of Crosby, who was not available for comment. "Some days you wake up and it feels good, others it hurts. It is a bad injury because you can do as much rehab as you want, but you just have to wait. There is no miracle cure for this injury."

(Quotes taken from The Associated Press, CBC Sports, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.)

Sidney Crosby Injury Monitor

This is a collection of all the information that has been posted here on TSCS regarding the high ankle sprain injury that Sid suffered on 01-18-08. It will be updated as often as new information is posted.

Late Edit (03-14-08): Since there have been so many updates, I have decided that listing the most current update first might make it a little easier for you. I am still updating the Injury Monitor as these events unfold:

• (03-27-08) SIDNEY RETURNS AGAIN: Recap of the game for which Sidney rejoins to the Penguins' lineup for the second time


• (03-26-08) Sid announces that he is in fact coming back for the 03-27-08 game against the Isles


• (03-26-08) Sid comtemplates coming back for the 03-27-08 game against the Isles


• (03-24-08) Sid goes on the road with the team but sits out the Isles game


• (03-22-08) Sid's return is imminent...


• (03-19-08) Sidney resumes skating at practice (again)


• (03-14-08) Sid is listed as day to day and expected to miss about a week


• (03-12-08) Sid has pain in his ankle and sits out the Buffalo Sabres game


• (03-09-08) Recap of the game during which Sidney scores his first goal since coming back


• (03-04-08) SIDNEY RETURNS: Recap of the game for which Sidney rejoins to the Penguins' lineup


• (03-04-08) Sidney Crosby To Return To The Ice Tonight


• (03-03-08) Sidney discusses his progress and the Armstrong trade with Joe Sager


• (02-26-08) Sidney plans to resume skating after a week off the ice


• (02-17-08) TSCS EXCLUSIVE: Photos of Sid practicing at Southpointe (photos courtesy Michelle B.)


• (02-14-08) Video of Sidney at the Penguins' practices


• (02-08-08) Sid returns to full practices! :)


• (02-06-08) Sidney Crosby is back on skates!


• (01-31-08) Bill Clement talks about the Pens' playoff chances following Sid's injury


• (01-24-08) Dave Molinari of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette talks about the way Sid's injury occurred


• (01-23-08) High ankle sprains explained


• (01-22-08) Video of Sid's first interview since his injury


• (01-22-08) Sid's first interview since his injury


• (01-22-08) Sid's prognosis


• (01-21-08) Pens announce that Sid was placed on injured reserve


• (01-19-08) News reports from the day after Sid was injured, teammate reactions, and video of the incident


• (01-18-08) Recap of the game during which the injury occurred