Sidney Crosby injured after hard hit from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba
The Pittsburgh Penguins were leading 2-0 in Game 5 of their first-round series against the New York Rangers when star center Sidney Crosby headed to the dressing room with about seven minutes left in the second period Wednesday night.
Minutes earlier, he was knocked to the ice after a hard high hit from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba while the Penguins had the puck in the offensive zone. Following his departure, New York scored three times on three consecutive shots over a 2:42 span to take the lead.
Asked if he thought there was intent on Trouba's hit, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan simply replied, "Did you see it? Then you probably have the same opinion I do."
Sullivan said Crosby had an upper body injury and his status was being evaluated.
Game 6 is Friday in Pittsburgh, and a potential deciding Game 7 would be Sunday back at Madison Square Garden.
Pittsburgh tied it 13 seconds after the Rangers' flurry on Jake Guentzel's second of the game. However, Filip Chytil gave New York the lead for good with a power-goal early in the third and the Rangers went on to a 5-3 win, avoiding elimination.
Crosby had two goals and seven assists for a team-high nine points in the first four games. Though the Penguins managed 20 of their 32 shots after he left the ice, they couldn't break through other than Guentzel's tying goal as they were outscored 5-1 over the last 25 minutes.
Guentzel downplayed any notion Crosby's absence had any deflating effect on the Penguins.
"We've got plenty leaders on this team that have been through a lot," he said. "You never want to see a player like that leave, but we got the group to step up. We have a lot of capable guys in that locker room. We've got to find a way to get that one done."
Crosby, who reached 200 career playoff points in Game 4, has 22 assists and 30 points against the Rangers -- the most of any player against the team in NHL history. If he is out for any games, that would put added pressure on Guentzel (seven goals) and Evgeni Malkin (two goals, three assists).
"We feel like we're deep at that position. and we have what it takes to win regardless of who's in our lineup," Sullivan said. "Sid and (Evgeni Malkin) have been two of the best in the league for 15-plus years, so when one of them is out the other one steps up. That's been my experience since I've been here, so whatever happens moving forward, I'm sure Geno will bring his best."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.