Sidney Crosby is unsure exactly how many teeth he has left in his mouth. Crosby is officially in recovery mode after a puck to the face left him with a broken jaw and several missing teeth. Crosby spoke to the media for the first time on Monday after surgery to repair his jaw. While his mouth is still wired shut, Crosby said he is ready to see NHL action again soon.
Crosby sustained the injury during a game against the New York Islanders on March 30. A puck was deflected, striking him in the face. Blood immediately flew from his mouth as Crosby fell to the ice. He was later diagnosed with a broken jaw and taken in right away for surgery. Crosby is now attempting to heal after being determined to be out indefinitely. Crosby is restricting to an all-liquid diet. He currently weighs in at 200 pounds and says it is a struggle to keep the weight up.
"It's been shakes. Hasn't been too enjoyable that way. Maybe next week I'll be able to eat solid food. Milkshakes early on, but trying to keep it a bit more healthy now. It's pretty much impossible to keep weight on right now. I'll be excited when I can eat, for sure," Crosby said.
Crosby did not have an opportunity to protect himself from the hit that left him with a relatively toothless grin. He told media he never saw the puck coming, claiming it was just a freak incident.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently one of the main teams to beat in the NHL as the playoffs are quickly approaching. With the Stanley Cup on their mind, the team is coming off a 15-game win streak, part of which of earned after the Crosby injury. They still have a chance to make a great run at the championship even with the loss of one of their best players. Crosby is hoping to see some sort of action on the ice, hopefully sooner rather than later.
"I'm going to see the doctor this week and probably continue to keep seeing him. When he feels comfortable kind of that everything has set it and feels like I can go out there and skate and exert, that's something I'll just wait to hear from him," Crosby said.
Despite missing the last week of play, Crosby still leads the NHL in scoring with 56 points. He is seven ahead of Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is still considered in the running for league MVP award.