For Sid, misery does love company
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Sidney Crosby skates in front of goaltender Brent Johnson Monday at a team practice at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
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MONTREAL -- He didn't look bad on a line with Steve Sullivan and Cal O'Reilly, even though he was playing out of position.
He added a nice dimension to the No. 2 power play, as well, even though the second unit isn't exactly his natural habitat.
But being heavily involved in the practice at the Bell Centre didn't mean that Sidney Crosby will be in the lineup when the Penguins face Montreal tonight.
He won't.
- Matchup: Penguins at Montreal Canadiens, 7:38 p.m. today, Bell Centre.
- TV, Radio: Root Sports, WXDX-FM (105.9).
- Probably goaltenders: Marc-Andre Fleury for Penguins. Carey Price for Canadiens.
- Penguins: Need victory to go 4-0 against Canadiens for first time in franchise history. ... Fleury does not have shutout in his past 30 starts. ... Have allowed just one goal in past 18 short-handed situations on road.
- Canadiens: Are 10-11-7 at home, including 4-3 overtime loss to Penguins Nov. 26. ... LW Max Pacioretty was tied for seventh in league in shots (181) going into game Monday. ... Need four victories to reach 3,200 in franchise history.
- Hidden stat: Canadiens have NHL's most efficient penalty-killing unit but lowest-ranked power play.
Doesn't indicate that he has taken a significant step toward getting back in uniform, either.
He hasn't.
Doesn't mean anything, really, except that Crosby preferred to have some company when he skated.
With center Jordan Staal and defenseman Simon Despres, both of whom are recovering from knee injuries, having received medical permission to resuming practicing with their teammates, Crosby faced the prospect of working out on his own unless he went on the ice for the whole-group workout.
"He would have been lonely all by himself," coach Dan Bylsma said, smiling.
That's a feeling Crosby will have soon enough.
Although he might go on the ice with his teammates for at least part of their game-day skate today, he anticipates being by himself for workouts after the Penguins return home.
"When I go back to Pittsburgh, I'll be skating by myself again," he said. "It's getting tough doing that all the time. I miss being out there with the guys. ... Hopefully, things keep going well and I'm back with those guys, sooner than later, in practices and games."
There has been a growing sense of optimism over the past week -- basically, since it was confirmed that his latest medical issue is a soft-tissue problem in his neck -- that Crosby's return, while hardly imminent, has gone far beyond mere wishful thinking.
First Published February 7, 2012 12:00 am
