Penguins’ Crosby out with another concussion
The scene brought back jarring memories. Sidney Crosby woozily making his way off the ice after taking a brutal hit from a member of the Washington Capitals. His brain foggy. His immediate future uncertain.
The sight of their captain slowly heading to the dressing room on Monday night following a violent cross-check to the jaw from Washington defenseman Matt Niskanen left his teammates shaken. The diagnosis came the next morning: Crosby is sidelined indefinitely with yet another concussion.
For goaltender MarcAndre Fleury, Crosby’s nomadic two-year recovery from a concussion sustained after taking a shoulder to the head by Capitals forward David Steckel in 2011 remains fresh.
It’s why Fleury’s concern as the defending Stanley Cup champions prepared for Wednesday’s Game 4 of their increasingly caustic Eastern Conference semifinal against the Capitals wasn’t so much on how Pittsburgh will survive without its most indispensable player, but Crosby’s general well-being.
“It’s a tough moment for sure,” Fleury said. “You know, you care a lot about him ... We’ve been friends for a long time. I know he’s always devoted to the team. He’s always working hard out there. Hoping he feels better soon and see him smile again.”
Crosby spent part of Tuesday at the team’s training facility being evaluated. Barely 12 hours removed from a hit that sent a jolt across the league and provided a stark reminder of Crosby’s concussion history, the game’s best player tried to focus on pushing forward instead of looking back.
“He’s very upbeat and he’s very positive,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “We’re very optimistic and we’re hopeful that we’ll get him back in a timely fashion.” Mats Zuccarello had a goal and an assist to lead New York over the Ottawa Senators, cutting the Rangers’ deficit to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinal series. Michael Graber, Rick Nash and Oscar Lindberg also scored, and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 26 shots for the Rangers. New York has won three straight playoff games at Madison Square Garden after losing six straight on home ice, including Game 3 of the first round against Montreal. JeanGabriel Pageau, who had four goals in Ottawa’s 6-5 double-overtime win in Game 2, scored again for the Senators, and Craig Anderson finished with 26 saves. Game 4 is Thursday night. Looking to avoid falling into a 0-3 series hole and with the home crowd buzzing from the singing of the national anthems, the Rangers came out aggressive from the start. They outshot the Senators 15-5 in the first period while building a 2-0 lead.