Sidney Crosby Returns From Concussion
On his third shift, Crosby flew through the center zone, accepted a pass from Pascal Dupuis, fought off a hook by the Islanders’ Jay Pandolfo, broke past defenseman Andrew MacDonald and coolly backhanded the puck over the glove of goalie Anders Nilsson.
It was vintage Crosby.
He thrust his arms triumphantly in the air, as he had done after most of his 215 career goals. It was his first goal since Dec. 28, 2010, a week before the concussion that proved so protracted and frustrating that some wondered if he would play again.
“Crosby! Crosby!” the Penguins fans chanted, holding up “Welcome Back Sid” signs hastily printed overnight at the suggestion of the owner, Mario Lemieux. A few minutes later, during a timeout, Crosby flashed a wide grin on the bench.
Later in the period, Crosby was cross-checked by Milan Jurcina and driven hard into the boards by Travis Hamonic, but seemed unfazed by both hits. Then he set up a goal by Brooks Orpik, and early in the second period he assisted on another goal, by Evgeni Malkin.
In the third, he fought off two checks by Jurcina and backhanded in a second goal.
Crosby, perhaps the best hockey player in the world, was back.
The Penguins won, 5-0, handing the Islanders their 12th loss in 14 games. They bombarded Nilsson, who was making his first N.H.L. start.
Crosby finished the game with two goals and two assists for four points. He took eight shots, more than any player on either team, and won 14 of 21 faceoffs. He logged 15:54 of ice time, off his average of 21:55 last season.
In some ways, Crosby’s performance outshined one of Lemieux’s remarkable comebacks, his return in 2000 after three years of retirement, in which he set up a score 33 seconds into his first shift and wound up with a goal and two assists.
“He set the standard pretty high for first shifts in comebacks,” Crosby said before the game. “It’s pretty hard to match that.”
Crosby’s return was the lead story on the front pages of newspapers across Canada. CBC replaced its normal prime-time programming with a telecast of this game, which was also watched by 250 reporters in the press box, similar to the news media presence at a Stanley Cup finals game.
By the time Crosby turned 23, he had captained a Stanley Cup-winner, scored the goal that won an Olympic gold medal for Canada, won a league scoring title and a most valuable player award, and seemed headed to a boundless future on the same transcendent plane as Gretzky, Lemieux, Orr and Richard.
He started last season as the runaway scoring leader, striking for 32 goals and 66 points in only 41 games. He mainly played on a line with Chris Kunitz and Dupuis, who were also his linemates Monday.
Crosby was first injured at the Winter Classic here last New Year’s night on a blindside sideswipe by Washington’s David Steckel that struck his head. Crosby was staggered but finished the game. In the next game, at Tampa Bay four nights later, Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman rammed him into the boards from behind. Crosby finished that game, too.
But the next day Crosby returned home, and it was announced that he had a “mild concussion.” Symptoms worsened — headaches, spatial and balance problems, fogginess, in what Crosby would term a roller-coaster experience — and it took until mid-March for him to do some light skating again. By mid-April, however, he had to quit skating for three more months.
Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma and the general manager Ray Shero assured reporters and fans that Crosby would not be rushed back into action. Concussions, they had learned, must be treated with care and patience.
Crosby was back for the start of training camp in September and was cleared for contact in mid-October.
Finally, on Sunday he visited the team doctor Charles Burke and the concussion specialist Michael Collins and told them he was ready to play again.
“I felt confident and comfortable that I could come back,” Crosby said. After he passed one last concussion evaluation test, he was cleared to play.
The Penguins won 34 of the 61 games they played without Crosby and entered Monday’s game tied for first in the Eastern Conference. Crosby’s return makes the Penguins a favorite to match their Stanley Cup triumph of 2009.
“Everyone wants to see Sidney back on the ice, me included,” Hedman told The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette last week. “I hope he recovers fast, because hockey needs him.”