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Penguins: What to Know About Sidney Crosby’s Injury

By SeeyaLeah

PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 08: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates with the puck in the first period during the game against the Winnipeg Jets at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 8, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - OCTOBER 08: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates with the puck in the first period during the game against the Winnipeg Jets at PPG PAINTS Arena on October 8, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without Sidney Crosby for a minimum of six weeks due to an injury, but the team shouldn’t give up hope just yet.

The blows just keep coming for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Just as the team seemed to be getting healthy, seeing the return of Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, and Brian Dumoulin, the IR door opened back up. This time it’s Patric Hornqvist, Sidney Crosby, and Kris Letang being shelved. But the big story is obviously the team’s captain. Crosby, who has formed a formidable force with young guys Dominik Simon and Jake Guentzel so far this season, currently leads the team in points.

But perhaps more interesting is the story behind this injury which Crosby had surgery to repair this week. According to reports out from The Athletic’s Rob Rossi, the injury (commonly called a sports hernia) was originally suffered in the team’s final pre-season game. Crosby decided to forgo surgery at the time due to the previously mentioned injuries to Malkin, Rust, and more.

Last weekend, he aggravated the injury against the Chicago Blackhawks. This is common among people with this kind of soft tissue injury. It’s possible to rehab without surgery and continue playing – but it’s a ticking time bomb. There’s a chance that any movement that involves twisting the core can reinjure it. So Crosby went off to see a specialist. And after thinking about it decided, correctly, to get the surgery.

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The team announced today that he would be sidelined for a minimum of six weeks. And recovery time is usually between six weeks and 12 weeks for surgeries like this. The shortest timeline has his return to action right after Christmas. A ten-week layoff would put his return just after the team’s league-appointed bye week in late January. And the longest would put his return in early February. It’s likely he’ll return somewhere the middle but it is good to note that the team’s January and early February schedule isn’t particularly arduous. In January they have marquee match-ups against the Bruins and the Flyers but only one back to back. February is similar with two games against the Capitals but the only back to back being at the end of the month on the west coast road trip.

The hardest part of this “don’t fall off a cliff” time is actually right now. Five of the Penguins’ next ten games are against Metro opponents and they face a back to back with travel at the end of November. How will it go? Only time will tell. But with 13 of their 16 games in March being against Metro teams and 15 of the 16 against Eastern Conference teams; now definitely seems like a better time than later to be without Crosby.

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