There has been no definite word on Sidney Crosby returning to the NHL for the 2010-11 season, not for the end of the regular season or the playoffs, or a portion of the play-offs. But somehow there seems a more positive feel around the Crosby injury.
The Penguin captain was out of the picture for a time, right out of the city of Pittsburgh as in early February he went home to Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia to be with family. But with his having skated on Monday and Tuesday in Pittsburgh, and sounding upbeat when he talked to the media Monday after skating, there appears hope at the end of the Crosby concussion tunnel.
Crosby Takes Wednesday off With Penguin Teammates
Crosby did not skate Wed. March 16, 2011, but the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the entire Penguin team had the day off and that the Pens had suggested Tuesday he wasn't scheduled to skate Wednesday. The paper also reported that the text they received from a team official did not mention whether Crosby had suffered any symptoms after his two days of skating, but then again they did not mention he had.
He has been reported to be upbeat of late, as he sounded at the press conference Monday. During that talk with the media he said he had for some time returned to doing what he routinely does at home, presumably cooking, cleaning, lifting etc., without feeling post-concussion symptoms.
Concussion Symptoms Abate for Crosby
Others have found him positive, such as his former-teammate Jordan Leopold, who said he spoke with Crosby over the phone last week. “Sid was in a pretty good mood that day," Sabre Leopold told the Buffalo News. "I normally try to talk to him every time I’m in town or when they come in here. I think his spirits were up. He knows he’s got better days ahead of him."
And teammate Max Talbot, talking to media Tuesday about the guy he says is his best friend on the team, said that Crosby has "...kept up a great attitude. He comes around the room, he talks with us, he’s trying to have fun. He has been himself.”
Cautious Pens Allow Consecutive Skates
Surely the fact Crosby was given the green light to skate Monday and then to skate a second consecutive day has to be a positive sign as well. Had he experienced symptoms after the first day would the medical staff not have sat him for at least a day, likely longer, before trying again?
Granted he has only skated 15 minutes each time but the Penguins have said any return this season would be handled with caution, suggesting were they not being so cautious they might have allowed for a return to the ice sooner with longer skating sessions. He may be feeling better but the Pens, realizing they're a lock for the playoffs, are holding him back to be doubly sure.
Pittsburgh has 10 games left as of this writing, with the season ending April 10. Even the most cautious approach would have a symptom-free player ready in 25 days. Which translates to a Pittsburgh Penguin team, and an NHL, having the game's best player taking part in the 2010-11 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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