Yet Another Sidney Crosby Update

What's really going on with our Captain?

In the middle of all the All Star fun, some serious news concerning Crosby and his health has been released.

Turns out that, along with a concussion, Crosby had also fractured his C1 and C2 vertebrae. At least, those are the rumors. His agent, Pat Brisson, said that the vertebrae may be have been cracked and that the injury was discovered by a doctor in Los Angeles, where Sid has been for the past week visiting specialists.  Sid will be visiting with some independent doctors to get an exact diagnosis.

The Penguins site released this statement on the website

“The diagnosis of Dr. Robert S. Bray, a neurological spine specialist based in Los Angeles, is that Sidney Crosby had suffered a neck injury in addition to a concussion. Dr. Bray reports that the neck injury is fully healed. Those findings will be evaluated by independent specialists over the next few days. The most important goal all along has been Sidney’s return to full health, and we are encouraged that progress continues to be made.”

The good news? Apparently, Sid’s neck isn’t in anymore danger. And he still plans on playing this year.

“He’s definitely trying to play this year,” Brisson said. “There is no doubt his goal is to play hockey this year. He wants to come back quickly but safely.”

 

Another Penguin Added To The All-Star Roster!

Letang at last year's All Star Game in Raleigh, North Carolina.

It has certainly been a crazy week for D-man Kris Letang. Only a few days ago he was cleared to play, and now he will have to pack his bags, along with forward Evgeni Malkin, and make the trip to Ottawa for the  All Star Game!

Letang was a stand-out at last year’s ASG. In his first All-Star appearance, he won the fastest backward skating competition, as well as netting two goals in the game itself, earning serious consideration for MVP status.

If you are worried about Letang being put under so much pressure so quickly after returning, fear not. He assured everyone he is in top form, and the stats show it. In all of his games since returning from a concussion, Letang has clocked more minutes than any other player on the team.

You can catch all of the All-Star excitement this weekend, kicking off with the Fantasy Draft on Thursday night!

Letang: Ready for the Rangers

You heard me: Defenseman Kris Letang will be returning to the Penguin’s lineup tonight after suffering a concussion in late November.

Though his recovery hasn’t been as publicized as certain other members of the squad, his presence is absolutely invaluable.

Letang only returned to practice this Tuesday, but we are assured he is 100% ready to go. Bylsma said he plans to use him in a “top-four” role, as well as on the power play.

The New York Rangers are currently the team to beat in the East, and the addition of Letang to our roster will only serve as both a mental and performance boost for our team!

Sea of Cs

Whoever said that the Pens locker room was becoming impatient with Sidney Crosby’s recover was far off. The team skated this morning with many Captains on the ice. No literally, every Pens player wore a ‘C’ on their chest made out of tape, except for Evgeni Malkin who decided to wear the Russian version with a ‘K’. If this doesn’t show unity within this team, I don’t know what does.

Crosby, the true and only captain, skated this morning for the first time in over a month after being shut down by team doctors for the reoccurrence of concussion symptoms. Crosby said that although he is not symptom free, he is getting better. But he also addressed his biggest concern. “The motion stuff has kind of been the issue, both the time before and now going through it for a bit now. The good thing is that I have a pretty good handle on it and I’m always able to improve that,” he told reporters at the morning skate this morning.

Although he has addressed these problems, he acknowledged that if necessary, he will return to Georgia to talk to concussion experts that he believed helped the first time around.

Even in the midst of a six-game losing streak, which is the longest since Crosby’s rookie year, the Pens are looking up and believe that the answers are within the locker room. General Manger, Ray Shero addressed the media yesterday and talked about the current direction of the team in the midst of wide-spread injuries. “We’re making the playoffs…anything less is unacceptable,” Shero told the Pittsburgh Tribune Review yesterday.

With the trade deadline approaching, Shero has not talked about specific trades but has admitted that he will wait until specific players are healthy before he thinks about possible opportunities.

As a fan, it is great to see some good news coming from our team even in rough times, but it is still hard to see at how much work we have cut out for us. No matter what happens, Brooks Orpik puts it perfectly telling the Pittsburgh media, “Sid will be our Captain until the day he retires.”

And if that quote wasn’t enough, the players’ actions this morning proved it.

BREAKING CROSBY NEWS

How long until we see this again? Not long, hopefully

Per Dan Bylsma, Sidney Crosby has made the trip with the team to Washington. Even better? He will be skating on his own during the road trip and will address the media sometime in the near future.

Bylsma previously stated that Crosby had been doing light off-ice works outs.

With all the bad news the Pens have been getting, this is spectacular news for the fans, even if it doesn’t mean much at all.

Steve MacIntyre: Waivered

Today, the Penguins announced that winger Steve MacIntyre, who they acquired from the Edmonton Oilers this off-season, was put on waivers.

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering his production so far this season…

Big Mac's Stats

This is the Penguins second roster move this season, following the exchange that send Mark Letestu to the Blue Jackets.

Hopefully, this spot will be filled by someone ready to reinvigorate our team!

(…Bobby Ryan?)

Game Day #41: Penguins @ Capitals

Under any other circumstances, the buildup to a Pittsburgh/Washington game is full of tension and excitement. Yet, two of the NHL’s supposedly best teams find themselves rattled with injuries and little spirit left to fight. The Penguins, following their loss to the Ottawa Senators last night, have failed to earn a point in any of their last five games. We could say they will use tonight as a chance to come out and fight, but even I feel exhausted for them…

Game Notes:

• Dustin Jeffrey was deactivated from injured reserve today. We’re still unsure what this means as to his playing status…We can only hope DJ Jazzy Jeff will be back in action ASAP! We need you, bro!
• Nicklas Backstrom and Mike Green, two of the Caps best players on both ends of the ice, are injured.
• After a slow start to the season, Ovechkin is finding his niche. His point production is starting to heat up, so keep an eye on him!

Where to Watch/Listen:

The puck drops at 7:30 PM (EST).

NBC Sports Network (Formerly Versus), TSN2, Penguins Radio

Injury Update! It’s A Good One This Time!

It's a beautiful sight, isn't it?

So it looks like the Penguins organization likes to screw with us.

James Neal’s foot is not, as was previously stated, broken. It’s just a bruised bone and he is ready to play tonight against the Ottawa Senators.

Dan Bylsma gave the update this morning.

Craig Adams is also OK, stating that he is ready to go tonight as well.

Paul Martin is ill, according to Bylsma, and is a game time decision.

Sidney Crosby is working out. Not much of an update, but it’s something!

Brent Johnson is getting the start tonight. Understandable, since the Pens are also playing tomorrow and Fleury’s been playing for the past few games.

This is a big game for the team tonight. Let’s hope this will be the game to get us back on the winning side of things. If you’re going to be at the game tonight, make sure you make some noise!

The Pens take on the Ottawa Senators tonight at the Consol Energy Center. Puck drops at 7:00PM!

Ha. Ha Ha Ha. Ha. Ha.

Add these three to the ever growing injury list

The hysterical laughing keeps me from crying

Brace yourselves, Pens fans. These hard times aren’t getting any better.

The organization this morning announced that Jordan Staal will  be out for 4 to 6 weeks with a knee injury, sustained when he got tangled up with New York Rangers forward Mike Rupp in Friday’s game. The good news, however, is that he doesn’t need any surgery.

Also injured is James Neal. The team leader in goals was hit by a puck late in Saturday’s game against the New Jersey Devils. According to Coach Bylsma, a timetable for the injury will be figured out in the next few days. All that we know is that it will be weeks, not days, before he’s back. Which sucks, considering he was well on his way to going to the All Star this year.

Feel like puking yet? Wait.

Apparently, Craig Adams has re-aggravated an old injury and will be looked at on Monday.

These three are now added to a list that include Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Dustin Jeffery, and Arron Asham.

The saddest stat? The Pens are on pace for 431 man games lost due to injury. They had 350 lost last season.

Whatever it takes, we walk together.

Game Day #39: Rangers @ Penguins

The Rangers come to town for a showdown at Consol Energy Center.

It’s been a while, so let’s recap: Yes, there is a hockey team in Pittsburgh. They are called the Pittsburgh Penguins and they are awesome. That’s really all you need to know. Don’t worry, it’s been a long week–we understand.

Game Notes:

• The Rangers topped the Flyers, 3-2, in the 2012 Winter Classic on Monday. They now have 52 points and are second in the league after Vancouver.
• Rangers coach John Tortorella was fined $30,000 for essentially claiming NBC was in cahoots to send the Winter Classic to a shootout.
• The Penguins are no longer in the top 10 teams in the league. It’s been, well, a while to say the least since that happened. Let’s get it back, boys!

Where to Watch/Listen:

The puck drops at 7:00 PM (EST)

ROOT Sports, Penguins Radio