Pittsburgh Penguins centerpiece Sidney Crosby has officially been ruled out for Game 6 against the Rangers.
The 34-year-old veteran and Penguins captain suffered an upper-body injury in Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, after sustaining a hit from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba. The NHL confirmed that they would not pursue a suspension of Trouba following the nasty hit.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan confirmed that Crosby had sustained a concussion and that his timetable for return was unknown as of Friday afternoon, stating that “Sid is in a good place.” Crosby was seen skating, a promising sign for the veteran. It is worth pointing out that Crosby has missed time in the past throughout his career due to concussions.
“As great a player as Sid is, he does a lot of twisting and turning and spinning away from guys,” Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. “Troubs went to play the puck, and his elbow got up a little high on him. There was no intent. He wasn’t trying to hurt anybody. Wasn’t running people through the glass, that’s for sure.”
Coach Sullivan on Crosby's status: "Sid will be evaluated when he goes back to Pittsburgh with us today. He has an upper-body injury."
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 12, 2022
Coach Sullivan on Sidney Crosby's status: "He skated this morning with Ty Hennes. He will not play tonight."
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 13, 2022
“Obviously, you don’t want to ever see a guy get hurt,” Trouba said. “I don’t exactly know what the injury is, but hopefully he’s better soon.”
Crosby has been one of the top performers in the NHL playoffs this year, and has particularly been a thorn in the Rangers’ side this year thus far, with nine points this series including two goals and seven assists. The Penguins will have to look to defeat the Rangers tonight without Crosby if they wish to advance, or else the Rangers will force a Game 7 back at the Garden, where they are favored.
“He’s an unbelievable player and a massive part of their team,” Rangers star Chris Kreider said of Crosby. “He’s pretty instrumental all over the ice for them, especially on the faceoff dot. It feels like a part of his game where he’s been especially dominant this series.”
What do you think of Sidney Crosby’s injury, and both teams’ chances in Game 6 tonight? Let us know, by either leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
