Not too long ago, fans were in the streets of Pittsburgh, packing every nook and cranny of the city to get a glimpse of their Stanley Cup champions.
Fast forward, and the Pittsburgh Penguins are less than a day away from trying to march to a second-straight Cup. While injuries to goaltender Matt Murray (broken hand) and center Sidney Crosby (concussion) will give the Penguins a slight disadvantage for the time being, don’t expect it to significantly hurt the team.
“You just have to treat [concussions] the right way,” Crosby said. “I’m comfortable and confident that things will be okay.”
From the sound of it, Pittsburgh’s captain doesn’t seem overly concerned, which is a good sign, considering his history with head injuries.
Regarding Murray, there haven’t been any recent updates on his thumb injury. No red flags have popped up in his recovery, and he was seen working out with goaltenders coach Mike Bales.
As for the rest of the team, expectations have soared to an all-time high, especially because Pittsburgh is returning almost the exact same roster as the one that won the Stanley Cup.
But, will the Penguins be able to live up to the promise that their second half surge last season gave them? Let’s not forget head coach Mike Sullivan still hasn’t coached an entire season worth of games.
Resigning Matt Cullen now looks like an even better move as he’ll be called on to help carry the team. Evgeni Malkin, from all accounts, looks to be healthy and ready to take a bulk of the work — but the team knows he can’t do it alone.
Bryan Rust was seen on the ice during Wednesday’s practice, but it’s unknown whether he’ll start in the season opener at the new PPG Paints Arena. Regardless, reports have said that Rust’s undisclosed injury — which isn’t associated with the broken finger he suffered during the Stanley Cup Finals — is more severe than previously believed.
Because of the injuries, Pittsburgh will need young big contributions from young and new players.
The most likely injury replacement, however, is Oskar Sundqvist, but there’s still no word on who will be filling the vacant fourth-line center position. If Crosby is out for a prolonged period of time and struggles, Sullivan may insert Carter Rowney.
Rowney was a bright spot of the Penguins’ preseason. Rowney attracted a lot of attention showing that he could play on pro ice after working through the AHL, and he turned quite a few heads when he scored two goals in six preseason games. Last year, the 27-year-old center tallied a total of 56 points (24 G, 32 A) for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
But what if Crosby is out for a prolonged period of time? Although he skated with the team during Wednesday’s practice, Crosby doesn’t have the best track record of coming back easily from head injuries.
Being more cautious and knowing a wrong move can end his career, the Penguins’ captain isn’t the same goalscorer he once was. Either way, the Penguins need him on the ice.
With the roster that is assembled, however, Pittsburgh can stay afloat — so long as no one else succumbs to the injury bug between now and early November.
Image credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
