The Whys and Why Nots of a Sidney Crosby 11/11/11 return
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When Sidney Crosby left the Pittsburgh Penguins’ West Coast trip a day early over the weekend, it fueled all sorts of speculation. Did he suffer a setback? Is he getting final clearance for a return?
Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said that Crosby left early to get authorization to participate in the team’s group building activity it has planned sometime this week. The Pens are off until Friday, when they host the Dallas Stars at CONSOL Energy Center.
The organization will announce whatever news it has on Crosby whenever it so chooses. In honor of Friday, Nov. 11 – a day that many have arbitrarily decided that the world’s best hockey player should return – we’ve put together a list of reason’s why and why not “the Ferrari” might make that date his first game back. Feel free to add your own personal reasons in the comment’s section, as always.
The Pros and Cons of Sidney Crosby coming back Friday against Dallas.
PRO
Nov. 30, 2007 Pens win 4-1, Crosby scores two goals after a season-high five day break – just like a team season-high break this time around, too.
“I felt pretty good,” Crosby told the
Associated Press. “I thought we got some good practices in and I tried to take advantage of it. You don’t get a chance to work on things throughout the year with morning skates and short practices all the time, so you try to make the most of it when you do have the time. I felt pretty sharp.”
CON
Crosby hasn’t seen enough practices with contact.
PRO
There aren’t many practices with contact.
CON
He hasn’t seen hits like he will in actual games.
PRO
There’s only one way to find out if he can handle hits in games; play in one.
CON
He’s only 24 and has 10-15 good years ahead of him.
PRO
I might not have 10-15 good years ahead of me to watch.
CON
Stars like Pat Lafontaine, Eric Lindros and Marc Savard have come back too soon from concussions. Why not keep Crosby out for a full calendar year, as some have suggested, just to make sure.
CON
Team is doing just fine without him, going 9-3-3, good for first in the East. Dallas, incidentally, is first in the West with 20 points (10-3).
CON
Crosby won’t have former Dallas defenseman, Matt Niskanen, to
punch around now that they’re teammates.
PRO
Crosby is only 21 points behind Phil Kessel for the Art Ross Trophy.
PRO
Team doesn’t want to miss out on Crosby’s 20.1 career shooting percentage in November, his highest mark of any month.
PRO
Jeremy Roenick is tired of hearing about little change with Crosby’s status.
CON
Jeremy Roenick is tired of hearing about little change with Crosby’s status.
CON
Chris Kunitz has five goals in eight games and doesn’t want to be tied down to his former linemate.
PRO
11/11/11 return after 1/1/11 concussion would do wonders for local elementary school math teachers. Imagine the lesson plans.
PRO
Gives Don Cherry slight chance of calling Crosby a “puke” before end of season.
PRO
Two game-winning goals and seven points (4, 3) in four career games against Dallas.
CON
Bruce Boudreau might bench him.
RINK LINKS
-Coaches bring the right mix to the Penguins, the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
Meloche, 61, is in his 26th season with the Penguins as a player, scout, goaltending consultant and now full-time assistant. He has been on the staff for the organization's three Stanley Cup wins.
He's in those coaches' meetings, too, and not just to talk about goalies. It's not uncommon to see Meloche scouting opponents' morning skates, and he does more behind the scenes.
-Penguins-Flyers rivalry not likely to have a big impact on realignment in the Board of Governor’s eyes, the
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
While the Penguins made it clear to the league that they don't like any plan that would put them in a division that does not include their most fierce rival, Philadelphia, no one should expect them to make a public issue of it.
They have developed an excellent working relationship with commissioner Gary Bettman and other league executives, and that's part of the reason events like the 2011 Winter Classic and 2012 entry draft end up here.
-Ethan Moreau fined $2,500 for his hit on Chris Kunitz on Saturday,
Yahoo’s! Greg Wyshinski reports.
Question is: Should it have gone further, on Moreau and Weber? If the goal is awareness and deterrence, does $2,500 speak as loudly as one-game suspensions?
-KHL head coach Andrei Nazarov tries to hack fans behind his team’s bench and over the glass, reports
Yahoo’s! Sean Leahy.
Note the “security” guards around the 50-second mark. You won’t see those guys at CONSOL Energy Center.
-Evgeni Malkin is interviewed in Russian on the
Penguins’ Web site.
All I could understand for the two minutes I listened was “Crosby” and “playoffs” – nuff said.
-Kunitz gets some much deserved love in the
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Writer Josh Yohe doesn’t mention Kunitz’s contract extension, but the winger had one assist in four games before signing. Since then he has five goals and two assists in 11 contests.
"Kuny battles every night," right wing James Neal said. "You know what you're going to get from him every game."
-After a rough pro start, Philip Samuelsson has played well for Wilkes-Barre, the
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reports.
"His game has taken a 180," coach John Hynes said. "He's been in with (assistant coach Alain Nasreddine watching) video. He works hard every practice. A lot of his improvement comes through his own intensity of effort."
*****
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Have a great Monday!
JT
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • 
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