After meeting with several other “specialists” in recent weeks, it was announced that Crosby had suffered a fractured neck. Well, now it is being reported that the Pittsburgh Penguins captain is suffering from a soft tissue injury that could be contributing to his concussion-like symptoms.
After spending on time on both coasts with several doctors last week, Crosby was told the injury to his top two vertebrae can result in concussion-like symptoms. If this is indeed the problem, or at least part of the problem, that has forced Crosby out of action since Dec. 5, then this is the best news the Penguins have received since No. 87 was cleared to suit up back on Nov. 21.
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov found out the hard way just how cruel and unforgiving the Philly sports media can be.
He knew prior to signing his huge nine-year, $51 million deal this past offseason that the expectations for him were going to be huge, but when you’ve been playing for a franchise like the Phoenix Coyotes, no one can really prepare you for the enormous—or “huumungus beeg”—change in the amount of scrutiny that comes with playing for the Flyers, especially if you are the guy between the pipes.
Every good captain needs an assistant, and that’s why Toronto Maple Leafs forward Joffrey Lupul and New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist have been named assistant captains for the 2012 NHL All-Star Game in Ottawa.
Lundqvist will join the team of captain Daniel Alfredsson of the Ottawa Senators, while Lupul will be part of the team led by captain Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins.
Thanks to some amazing chemistry with Phil Kessel, Lupul is enjoying the best season of his eight-year NHL career. He currently ranks fourth among all League scorers with 51 points (20 goals, 31 assists) in 46 games.
Thanks to HBO’s 24/7, New York Rangers head coach John Tortorella is now easily recognized as one of the premier no-nonsense bench bosses in the NHL. Players and fans respect him for his honesty and his unwillingness to put up with crap from anyone—even if it is the owner of the Rangers.
Following the team’s impressive 3-0 victory over the visiting Nashville Predators, Rangers owner James Dolan held an impromptu postgame press conference Tuesday night and said the Rangers were “pretty close” to winning a Stanley Cup.
With the NHL trade deadline just about a month away, more and more rumors are beginning to surface regarding some key players. However, due to the fact that the standings are so tight right now in both conferences, we may not see much activity until the final weeks leading up to the Feb. 27 deadline. Nevertheless, here are some of the names that are currently linked to various rumors—some of which may actually be true.
James van Riemsdyk and Luke Schenn
This rumor started running wild last week when a report came out of Philadelphia claiming Flyers director of player personnel Don Luce scouted the Leafs in recent games.
After losing six straight games and falling out of a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, the Pittsburgh Penguins knew they needed something to change their fortunes for the better heading into Friday night’s game against the Florida Panthers.
Sindey Crosby still wasn’t able to participate, but maybe his presence during the morning skate was what the team needed to turn things around.
The Pens were able to end their skid with a 4-1 victory, but as you could imagine, all of the talk that day was about seeing No. 87 back on the ice. Crosby skated for 27 minutes with his teammates during their morning practice, the first time Crosby has done so in over a month.
Despite the NHL’s best efforts to avoid a ratings war with rival programming, the event managed to pull just a 2.4 overnight rating, down from 2.8 last season, which was in prime time.
In what has quickly turned into one of the best ideas commissioner Gary Bettman and the NHL have come up with in quite some time, the fifth annual Winter Classic between the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers continued the streak of presenting another compelling outdoor hockey game between two great teams.
Thursday night marked the much-anticipated return of Jaromir Jagr to the city of Pittsburgh.
As expected, the Penguin faithful at the CONSOL Engery Center did not welcome back their former superstar with open arms, repeatedly booing No. 68 every time he touched the puck.
However, it was Jagr who got the last laugh, netting a goal in the second period to help the Philadelphia Flyers earn a 4-2 victory over the Pens. The game also marked the return to Pittsburgh for former Penguin Max Talbot, who signed with the Flyers over the offseason. Surprisingly, Talbot received a standing ovation, but perhaps Pens fans now regret the gesture of kindness after Talbot hit the empty-net goal to seal the Flyers’ triumph.
Another day, another Sidney Crosby injury update.
