Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Reports have surfaced that after he got hurt during Wednesday’s Olympic quarterfinals in Milan, Italy, Team Canada and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby helped rally the troops.
Crosby is hardly the only NHL captain playing for the Canadians, and hardly the only superstar. But the team listened and went on to down Czechia in overtime to advance to Friday’s semifinal against Finland.
“Yeah, but there’s nobody like him,” longtime Penguins teammate Kris Letang said on Thursday of Crosby’s voice carrying so much weight among a collection of elite talent. “Yes, it’s all stars and great players, but there’s nobody like Sid. Nobody can do what he does.”
According to Team Canada coach Jon Cooper, Crosby gave his teammates a “go get it, boys” during the second intermission after he left during the second period with an apparent leg or knee injury.
“He’s Sidney Crosby,” Team Canada and Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid told reporters. “He’s going to have a big influence no matter what. In the lineup, not in the lineup, he’s going to have a big influence. That’s what he does.”
Letang knows that well.
“I’m pretty sure he tried his all to get back out there, and he made the decision not to go back because he didn’t think he could help the team,” Letang said. “I’m sure he put some words into it between periods and tried to support his teammates the best he could.”
First-year Penguins coach Dan Muse has been around Crosby for less than a full season, but he was no less surprised than Letang at the Crosby effect.
“No. No surprise at all. From getting the opportunity to work together and get to know him over the season, that does not surprise at all,” said Muse, adding it worked both ways – he was neither surprised that Crosby took it upon himself to try to spark the troops, nor that his Team Canada brethren responded positively.
“I can’t probably properly describe what a special – not just player, but also leader and human being he is,” Muse said. “You hear about it around the league, but then when you see it first-hand … so none of that comes as a surprise at all.”
While Team Canada, the Penguins and essentially the hockey world waited on pins and needles, the update that came from Cooper early Thursday — hours before the Penguins practiced at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex — was not specific but was upbeat. Crosby seems to be day to day.
“I got the same thing, just the update from Team Canada that went out to the public,” Muse said. “That’s the information that we have as well.
“Obviously, thinking of Sid. It’s good to hear that that’s the current status, and continuing to think of him and (be) hopeful.”
St. Ivany on the Ice
Defenseman Jack St. Ivany skated before the Penguins practiced as he rehabs from surgery on his left hand.
Muse said St. Ivany “has been on the ice for a couple days. I have nothing new to report in terms of his status. He’s moving along. He’s moving along well.”
St. Ivany, who had formed a solid third pairing with Ryan Shea before he got hurt, is only a little more than three weeks out from the surgery. The initial outlook was that he would miss up to eight weeks. So even though he did some drills with his stick, and even if he might be a little ahead of schedule, it could still be a while before he is ready to return to playing.
No Bones About It
With Arturs Silovs away after playing for Latvia at the Olympics, the Penguins are getting creative to make sure they have enough goaltending help behind fellow regular Stuart Skinner during practices this week.
Thursday, a new face emerged, although he’s apparently not a candidate to push anyone for playing time.
Assistant coach and former Penguins forward Nick Bonino was a man behind the mask and donned the pads at practice.
“He’s got some work to do,” Muse deadpanned. “He’s working hard out there. He’s taking some steps, but he’s going to need to take maybe a couple private lessons with (goalie coach Andy Chiodo).”
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