It is one small step forward. But for the injury-ravaged Pittsburgh Penguins, who lead the NHL with 218 man-games lost to injury, they’ll take it. The biggest injury of all has been the latest concussion symptoms for star center Sidney Crosby, who returned after a long layoff for eight games in early this season before a collision brought out those nasty symptoms again. He hasn’t played since Dec. 5.
Crosby, wearing a jacket and tie, made a rare public appearance in the press box at Verizon Center during his team’s 1-0 loss to the Capitals on Wednesday. But he was all smiles for the most part chatting with teammates and Penguins staffers. And why not? He’s making some progress, apparently.
“Tonight, Sidney Crosby will be joining us on the road trip and he will be skating during this trip with the team,” Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said in a surprise announcement during his pre-game media chat. “He also will at some point in time in the near future address the media as well.”
When asked if that is a fair indication that Crosby is feeling better, Bylsma demurred.
“I’m not sure what’s fair to say,” Bylsma said. “Obviously, he has been working out and having light exercises in the weight room and on the bike. I’ll certainly be glad to see him on the ice.”
Crosby traveled with the Penguins to Florida, where they play the Penguins on Friday night. For now, his skating may be limited to his own excursions around the rink. He’d already been riding a bike and working out in the team’s weight room, according to Bylsma. But contact with teammates will have to wait – let alone a return to a real NHL game. Doctors thought Crosby was ready last time. And he played brilliantly with two goals and 10 assists in eight games. But he wasn’t. A simple collision with a teammate caused a serious setback. But even the thought of getting Crosby back before the end of the season gives hope to the Penguins, who are struggling with fellow stars Kris Letang (concussion) and Jordan Staal (knee) also out of the lineup – among others.
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