The Pittsburgh Penguins have been a favorite to win the Stanley Cup all season long. With a full lineup of healthy players, there was not much that could get in their way. However, the team took an unexpected hit on Saturday when Sidney Crosby went down with a broken jaw. The Penguins announced that Crosby will be out indefinitely while he recovers from the injury.
Crosby was struck in the face in the first period of the Penguins' 2-0 win over the New York Islanders on Saturday. A replay of the hit shows Crosby losing multiple teeth after the puck struck him in the face. The shot from teammate Brooke Orpik was then deflected off an Islanders player and hit Crosby square in the face. He immediately collapsed on the ice. Crosby does wear a visor on top third of his face but it could not protect him from this accident.
Losing Crosby is a big hit for the Penguins. He is the NHL's leading scorer with 15 goals. He also has 56 points on the season. He has not missed a game all season, after being limited to just 22 regular season games over the past two years due to concussion-related symptoms after being hit in consecutive games on Jan. 1 and Jan. 5 of 2011. He is the current favorite to be named the NHL's MVP of the season. He won the honor at 19-years old in 2006.
The injury overshadows the fact that the Penguins won their 15th-straight victory. It is the second longest win streak in NHL history. They are two wins away of tying the record originally set by the 1992-93 Pittsburgh Penguins. After acquiring Jerome Iginla in a trade with the Calgary Flames, he will be much needed in the replacement of Crosby. The Penguins can still make a serious run at the Stanley Cup, but it will be a bit more of an uphill battle now.
Crosby underwent surgery to repair the broken jaw. According to Penguins general manger Ray Shero, Crosby showed no signs of concussion symptoms. His jaw was not wired shut which could mean a shorter recovery time.
