Sidney Crosby to play first game since concussion diagnosis
For that reason, Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said Sunday that Crosby figures to experience the emotions and excitement of a guy competing at this level for the first time.
“He’s been wanting to play hockey for long time,” Bylsma said.
Crosby’s chance will come in a game against the New York Islanders. Coincidentally, he has earned more points (62) against the Islanders and Flyers than any other opponents.
Crosby, who missed the final 41 games of the 2010-11 season and the first 20 this season, received clearance to resume playing Sunday in a meeting with Charles Burke, the Penguins team physician, and concussion specialist Michael Collins, who has been overseeing his treatment.
Crosby did not speak publicly Sunday, a day on which the Penguins did not practice, but is scheduled to meet with the media after the Penguins’ game-day skate Monday morning.
And there will be plenty of media – print, broadcast and digital – waiting for him.
Not long after word got out that Crosby will play Monday, the Versus network announced it will televise the Penguins-Islanders game rather than the Boston-Montreal game as originally scheduled. The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. announced it will televise the Penguins game, too.
Crosby had a 10-point lead in the NHL scoring race at the time his injury was diagnosed. He appeared to be headed for his second league scoring championship and possibly a second Most Valuable Player award.
When, or whether, he will be able to return to the level at which he was playing when he got his concussion is impossible to say, but teammates have marveled at the way he has performed in practices since being cleared to receive contact Oct. 13.
“You watch him in practice, and he hasn’t lost a step out there,” goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury said. “The first game he comes back, he’ll be one of the best players in the league, still. Right away.”
Left winger Matt Cooke echoed that sentiment, and said that he did not believe Crosby would return if he did not feel he could perform to his usual standards.
“You see him out there in practice every day,” Cooke said. “He’s one of the best, if not the best, players every day on the ice.
“That’s part of the plan, to make sure he’s at the level where he expects himself to be, especially this far into a season.”
Bylsma said he plans to use Crosby on a line with wingers Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis, and that he does not expect Crosby to take on his customary workload of 20-plus minutes of ice time per game immediately.
Contact Dave Molinari at Dmolinari@Post-Gazette.com or Twitter @MolinariPG.