Sidney Crosby Talks Concussion Timeline, Lack of League Response, Steckel, Return

The Sidney Crosby concussion continues to evolve and the focus of the story seems to be less about how long the Pittsburgh Penguins star and NHL’s best player is going to be out of the lineup and more about everything else that went into the injury itself.  Concussions and trying to prevent them have been a point of conversation for the NHL over the past few seasons including the creation and implementation of Rule 48 to deal with headshots in game action.  It is strange to see that Crosby, whom many deem the most protected player in the game, take two blows to the head with only two minutes of penalties called, no retaliation by his teammates and no suspensions from the league. 

That series of facts was obvious on Crosby’s mind today when he spoke to reporters today about the injury.  He criticizes the NHL for not following through on all their talk about headshots (1:41-2:40 of the video) when he said:

I didn't like them. You talk about headshots and dealing with them, and that's been something that's been a pretty big point of interest from everybody -- GMs and players. When I look at those two hits and when we talk about blindside, that's a big word, unsuspecting player, there's no puck there on both of them and direct hit to the head on both of them. If you go through the criteria, I think they fit all those.

I know it's a fast game. If anybody understands it's a fast game ... I've been hit a thousand times. When you get hit like that, there's nothing you can do. There's no way to protect yourself. Those are things that hopefully they pay more attention to. It's easy saying that, being in this situation; but those are two hits, looking back, that I can't say I should have done something different or had my head down. I wouldn't change anything. [emphasis mine]

In general Crosby is 100% right in those comments that the league has been wildly inconsistent in how they have sought to implement Rule 48 this season where some actions get let go and others of the same exact ilk are hit with varying degrees of punishment. 

In discussing the David Steckel hit/collision from the Winter Classic (video of hit) Crosby reiterates his belief that Steckel could have avoided him if he wanted when he said:

On the Steckel one, it's tough. It's really tough to decide if he meant to or didn't mean to. I feel like he could have gotten out of the way and avoided me. Whether he tried to hurt me, only he knows. I guess we'll never know that, but you still have to be responsible out there. I can carry my stick up around my head and say that I'm protecting myself, but I still have to be responsible for whatever I do with my stick if I end up high-sticking someone.

It's the same thing. In that situation, I don't see anything [and] he sees me there. He sees the whole ice and he doesn't avoid me. I don't think that's responsible on his part. Whether or not he tried to hurt me, only he knows that. But he's got to be the one to try to avoid me in that situation.

This series of comments is likely going to get Crosby criticism especially from those who have an aversion to him already because of the exaggerated example he gives to try and create a metaphorical scenario on the ice and the fact that he did not give Steckel the benefit of the doubt on his intent.  You can say that he did not out and out accuse Steckel but the majority of the time when you lay out a scenario as he did where you say “only he knows” you are going to find many that presume it to be you accusing that person of a dirty play, especially when you then call him irresponsible saying he saw you and did not try to avoid you. 

From listening to Sidney it seems like the concussion was more likely from the collision with Steckel seeing as how he was not feeling “right” even before Hedman boarded him into the glass and probably exacerbated whatever symptoms he was already having.  Why it matters when he originally sustained the concussion is not about whether the Steckel hit was clean or dirty but the fact that the Penguins let him finish the Winter Classic game and play in a gave four days later while possibly having a concussion. Maybe Sidney should be complaining about that as well as the league for not protecting the players because as we have seen in other sport’s many times the league does a better job protecting the players from each other and themselves than the team’s do.

Instead Crosby defending the organization from just that kind of critcism when he said: "No, I mean, looking back, I wouldn't have changed anything we did. It may be easy to say that now, but I didn't have any head and it didn't feel like a concussion."

No offense to Crosby's medical training but that is why team's have professional doctors and trainers on staff to determine those things and maybe the NHL has to go the route of the NFL that any time a player hits his head he has to be concussion tested in order to prevent guys from playing with them until they get severe.  Personally from listening to Sidney today the one week timetable that was laid out seems awfully optimistic and at least on that count Crosby certainly seems to understand the need to wait until he is actually ready to be back to avoid getting another one.

Also I know the media has a job to do and without it I would not have this video to share with you of his comments, but which person thought it was a bright idea to take a guy with a concussion and stick numerous TV cameras and lights in his eyes?

Full Video via Penguins.com

Video: Did Crosby Top Ovie Playing With Dolls Taking on Puck Pyramid?

You can love him, you can hate him, but without question right now Sidney Crosby is the best hockey player in the world and this clip for Reebok shows that in spades.  Last week it was Ovechkin against the Russian dolls in a great display of skill and accuracy, but once again Crosby might have come out on top in their battle.

Watch as Crosby stacks pucks into pyramid formation on the top of the team bench and from approximately 30 feet away and picks off the top two pucks, misses with the third, uses the fourth to blast the rest and most impressively uses his fifth shot to clip one of the pucks as it is rolling down the bench wall.

Personally still cannot stand some of the antics, and the move at the end typifies that, but you cannot deny the sick skill on display here.

Video: Steckel Levels Crosby; Clean, Accidental Hit or Blindside Head Shot?

At the end of the second period of the Winter Classic tonight Capitals forward David Steckel collided with Sidney Crosby sending Crosby down to the ice where he would remain momentarily and would then be looked at on the bench.  The hit has sparked a debate that seems to depend on where you stand on Sidney Crosby in general as to what you thought of the hit.  Those who hate him want to make David Steckel the early favorite for man of the year in 2011 and those who love Crosby want him strung up for being a dirty player.  Before my take, let's watch some video.

Here's the hit from the NBC and CBC views:

NBC:



CBC:




After looking at both videos the NBC one definitely looks worse as from that angle you cannot see what the intent of Steckel was and see Crosby tumble.  On the CBC video, especially the second one it appears that the contact is made as Steckel is actually trying to avoid Crosby and get up the ice to follow the play.  Either way there definitely appears to be some contact between the shoulder pads of Steckel and the head of Crosby on the play, but with his arms down and no intent I do not see the league doing anything about it even though it in actuality is a hit from the blind side.

More amazing to me was that no Penguin really did anything about it after it initially happened as we have seen a lot of retaliation plays in the NHL this season for clean hits on far less important players to the teams involved.

Crosby Vs. Ovechkin: Great For TV; Good For The Sport?

There is no denying that Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin are amongst the top couple players in the NHL with Crosby leading the way.  It is also a fact that the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals are among the upper echelon of teams in the league.  Combine that with the fact the NHL is on the verge of negotiating a new TV contract and it was a no brainer to put it's two most highly marketed stars on the ice against one another for their biggest regular season showcase game, the NHL Winter Classic.  The NHL is a business and the higher the ratings this year the bigger the leverage the league has in the next negotiations.  This game will undoubtedly be highly rated television after the endless promotion it has gotten and the added bounce HBO's 24/7 will give to the festivities, so for the business side it should be a clear win for the league. 

What can be asked though is if the non-stop promotion of just two players and their teams by the NHL is good for the sport.  Every night no matter what game you are watching you cannot escape a conversation or a commercial that contains at least one of the two of them.  As I said in certain aspects the promotion of these two has been good for the game and with the upcoming Winter Classic I have no doubt that HBO never signs on to do 24/7 without the match-up and storyline of Crosby vs Ovechkin.  It is that draw not a real rivalry between the Capitals and Penguins which made HBO go out on a limb with its critically acclaimed series, but the sport has to be about more than those two.  Luckily for the most part HBO has done a pretty good job, better than the NHL in showcasing the teams on which these stars play and not just having it be solely about them.

There will be many who will watch the Winter Classic purely because it is Crosby vs Ovechkin and that part of it is good for the NHL in terms of revenue.  On the flip side I believe it is a problem that Winter Classic has become in large part Crosby vs Ovechkin instead of Penguins vs Capitals.  Life in the NHL dictates that no matter what either individual player does on Saturday the game will be decided as much by all the other guys on the ice as those two.  If the NHL wants to change the rules and let them go one-on-one for the two points in the standings then that is a different story, but Ovechkin will not be marking Crosby and vice versa so each will rely on their teammates to slow the other down and give them a chance to work their own magic in getting a win.  I am not saying that these two tremendous athletes are not capable of dominating on any given night or for long stretches as we just saw with Crosby's 25 game point streak, but what got lost in that streak was the tremendous team record and spectacular play of teammates like Marc-Andre Fleury and Kris Letang.   

The reality though is the way the NHL has promoted the game and the league as a whole the articles on Sunday, if the game even happens Saturday with the weather, will not be about the Penguins and the Capitals but a comparison of the two individuals.  Is that good for the sport?

DiPietro Stops Crosby Streak at 25 Games...More Importantly With It End The Mustache?

All the worry this week concerning the Winter Classic has been about whether Mother Nature would rain down on Saturday and cause the game to be potentially postponed until Sunday.  What was never considered even possible is that the New York Islanders and Rick DiPietro of all goaltenders would be the one to stop the scoring streak of Sidney Crosby just one game short of the NHL’s biggest regular season spectacle.  You could see all the marketing and conversation that was being set up to discuss the streak on Saturday during the game, but it was DiPietro and the Islanders who ruined all those plans and ended the streak at 25 games. 

Part of the reason there was little worry that the Islanders and DiPietro would stop the Crosby run was because there is no team that Sidney has victimized more often in his career than the team from Long Island.  In 32 career games against the Islanders coming into the contest he had scored an eye popping 62 points with 18 goals and 44 assists.  Combine that with the fact the Islanders are currently 29^th in the league in points, 28^th in the league in goals against and gave up seven goals to the New York Rangers in their last contest.  If the Crosby’s personal stats against them and the Islanders team stats were not enough mix in Rick DiPietro playing his first game after missing the prior five games with a bad knee and it seemed like a virtual lock for Crosby. 

Love Crosby or hate Crosby the 25-game point streak was an impressive feat and tied him with Wayne Gretzky (1990-91), Bryan Trottier (1981-82), Brett Hull (1991-92) and Bernie Nicholls (1984-85) for the 11th-longest run in NHL history.  During the streak Crosby netted an unbelievable 26 goals and 24 assists for 50 points along the way.

The Penguins certainly tried their best to get Crosby every opportunity to continue it as he would log 26:16 of ice time, but with all the attention he would only account for two shots in the game.  There was an attempt at some shenanigans by the Penguins with 7:01 left in the final period when a penalty shot was called for when an Islanders player covered the puck in his own crease.  Crosby was not on the ice at the time of the play so he was ineligible to be the shooter, but that did not stop the Penguins from trying though they were stopped and Kris Letang would miss the shot.

For good measure DiPietro would stop Crosby in the shootout and while Penguins fans, NHL executives and corporate sponsors were sad for the end of the streak it was the highlight of the year for the Islanders and a reason for Crosby haters to rejoice.  With any luck for viewers of the Winter Classic, especially in HD it will mean the end of that awful “mustache” he has been growing as well because the end of that thing will be even sweeter than the end of the streak itself.  Now we are left to ponder if what DiPietro and the Islanders did might be worse for the NHL and the Winter Classic than the rain Mother Nature could bring on Saturday.

Video: Did Sean Avery Attempt to Slew Foot Crosby?

Since the end of last nights game against the Penguins I have heard from various Pens fans that Avery attempted to slew foot Crosby later in the game and instead Crosby got a cheap penalty when Avery embellished the elbow.  I will stipulate without question that the elbow was embellished as Avery embellishes most contact he gets to try and draw penalties, much like Crosby does in fact.  Anyway back to the point I have asked each one for video of the apparent slew foot attempt by Avery on Crosby and received no response.  I went looking and all I could find with this NHL Network clip which actually says the play was a second attempted slew foot by Crosby on Avery.  I make no claims, just let you discuss this one.

To any Pens fan if this is not the incident you are referring to let me know and the offer still stands that any video showing Avery slew footing will go up as my beef is with the play more than the player involved. It is dirty, dangerous and needs to be out of the game.

Dubinsky Calls Crosby Dirty During Interview w/ Video

This is the real video I have been waiting for all night, the interview that Brandon Dubinsky did with Al during the first intermission where he said what we all know is true about Sidney Crosby. Good for your Dubi.  Video of the Crosby slew foot is here.

Crosby Slew Foots Callahan Yet Callahan Gets The Penalty W/Video

Everything up that point in the period no longer mattered because while we watch Marc Staal light up Kris Letang on the boards Sidney Crosby was busy slew footing Ryan Callahan in center and to add insult to potential injury it would Ryan Callahan who would be called for interference on the play.  I try as much as possible to not avoid complaining about the refs and even more the conspiracy bias theories, but this was absolutely absurd as it was clearly an intentional play by Crosby and to not only have to watch him get away with but be rewarded by the other team being called for a penalty was beyond words. 

While I was beyond words, one person who was not was Brandon Dubinsky during a first period intermission interview said, ““Yeah I mean that’s just a dirty play he tries to get away with all that kind of nonsense and complains a lot.”  That is why Dubinsky has become a leader on this club.  Video of the Dubinsky comments is here.