Crosby out Indefintely: Beginning of the end for the Penguins?

 

Everything was going well for the Pittsburgh Penguins recently.  In the eleven games before Friday they have been 10-0-1 and on fire. Most of this can be attributed to goalie’s Ty Conklin lights out play over that streak.  He looked like a man possessed and definitely not someone who was playing on the Penguins AHL team just weeks ago.  Although Conklin has been great, so have teammates Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.  Malkin has 10 goals and three assists and Crosby has 16 points over that winning streak.  Crosby was also in a three-way tie for the leader in points.  Overall the team has stepped up and has begun to play to expectations after a rather slow start.  The Penguins looked great and were expected to make a huge run from here on and be a contender throughout the season and heading into the playoffs. 

All of that changed Friday night when star Sidney Crosby became injured.  Skating down the ice trying to beat two defenders to the goal Crosby got slashed and fell into the boards feet first.  Usually jumping right up, he stayed down and was in obvious pain.  He was helped off the ice and into the locker room where he stayed all game.  The injury has been diagnosed as a high ankle sprain which, which depending on the severity, could sideline Crosby for over a month.  Crosby has been known to play with pain though, when last season he played the last month or so on a broken foot. The Penguins also ended their streak losing to the Lighting 0-3. 

It will be hard for the Pens to recover after losing the leagues reigning MVP in Crosby.  We should look to young players Tyler Kennedy and Jordan Staal to step up and help fill Crosby’s hole.  I feel that now is the time for last season’s rookie of the year Evgeni Malkin to finally show that he can also be a leader on this team.  Veterans like Colby Armstrong, Sergei Gonchar, Petr Sykora, and Ryan Malone should also help take some of the pressure off the team. The Penguins need to move on and try and continue their great play as of recently if they want to be still playing in April.  Let’s hope for the best and for the fast and strong recovery of Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.

*Also injury comes just 8 days before All-Star game, in which Crosby was leading vote getter

 

-Luke West