The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that centre and captain Sidney Crosby is out with a lower-body injury and will not travel with the team on their upcoming road trip.
Sidney Crosby is out for this road trip. Still being evaluated otherwise. No more info given.
— Josh Yohe (@JoshYohe_PGH) November 11, 2019
Sidney Crosby Injured
During the Penguins 3-2 shootout win over the Chicago Blackhawks Saturday night, Crosby left the game with an undisclosed injury. It is unclear when the injury happened as Crosby on the same shift in the third period fell awkwardly on his leg before blocking a shot off his foot. Soon after he limped towards the bench before leaving the game permanently. The extent of the injury is unknown as Crosby is still being evaluated. Head coach Mike Sullivan will update his condition when he knows more. As of now, Crosby has been ruled out Tuesday night against the New York Rangers and Friday night against the New Jersey Devils.
Crosby was on a tear to start the season. He leads the Penguins in scoring with 17 points (five goals and 12 assists) in 17 games. The Penguins currently sit fourth in the Metro Division.
Looking Ahead
Ideally, there is no great time for Crosby to go down, but with the schedule works out for the Penguins, this is better than two weeks ago. The Penguins just play Tuesday and not again until Friday. There is plenty of time for Crosby to heal up before Saturday night’s matchup against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The fact that the team already ruled him against the Devils is not a good sign. However, if Crosby can stay back and get treatment on his injury then there is a better chance for him to return to the ice quicker.
Another thing the Penguins have going for them is they are getting healthier. With Evgeni Malkin and Nick Bjugstad returning to the lineup, the Penguins have depth again down the middle. While Kris Letang was placed on injured reserve, the Penguins can get by upfront if Crosby is out more than a couple of games. With Crosby out of the lineup, Jared McCann will centre the top line of Alex Galchenyuk and Jake Guentzel. While Malkin will centre the second line of Bryan Rust and Dominik Simon.
NEWARK, NJ – FEBRUARY 3: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates during an NHL hockey game against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on February 3, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)
