The moment we’ve all been waiting for seems to be inching closer and closer. The return of Sidney Crosby to the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup has been a topic of conversation in the hockey world since he was injured with a serious concussion last January. According to CBC Sports, Crosby could potentially be back in the lineup this Friday for the Penguins game at home against the Dallas Stars.
“That’s a possibility,” said Crosby about returning Friday. “Just like however many games left there are [also are a possibility]. … I’d love it to be [Friday], but I would have loved it to be on the West Coast trip, too. There are a lot of different guesses but, like I said, everyone’s guesses are as good as mine.”
Ok, so that’s not the definite answer we wanted, but the fact that there is even a possibility of his return by the end of this week means that he has made serious progress. Crosby was cleared for full contact practice about a month ago, but says his return relies heavily on the decisions of the doctors. “I just tell them how I feel,” Crosby said. “That’s usually how it goes, giving feedback and letting them know how I’m feeling. They usually have tests or ways of evaluating. It’s kind of a combination of what I’m telling them and their expert opinion.”
Even after being cleared, it has been reported that Crosby’s contact at practice has been limited. I can’t wait to see who the a**hole that lays him out in his first game back will be. Let’s take some guesses. Patrick Kaleta with a signature headbutt? Jody Shelley with a sucker punch? Matt Cooke with an elbow? Oh wait, they are teammates…but I wouldn’t completely rule it out. Just kidding, everyone knows hockey is a full contact sport and there is no way Crosby will be able to escape that aspect of the game, but it will be interesting to see how it all goes down.
No one knows for sure which hit was the direct cause of the concussion, since they often occur from a series of hits, but the following videos show the two hits that are believed to be the main contributors. I’d put my money on the first one. Hope to see you back soon, Sid!
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDIzDdiifTg[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sfiMs4l38A[/youtube]
