PITTSBURGH (AP) -Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby injured an ankle while crashing into the rear boards leg-first midway through the first period of Friday night’s game against Tampa Bay, and will be sidelined for an indefinite period of time.
Crosby was favoring his right leg as he was helped off the ice, in visible pain, but the Penguins said only that he would be re-evaluated Saturday. The Penguins play at Montreal that night, but Crosby will be seen by team doctors in Pittsburgh.
The injury – a high ankle sprain – can sideline an athlete for a month or longer. Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury sustained the same injury Dec. 6 and has yet to return, and it may be well into February before he comes back.
Such a sprain would be certain to cause Crosby to miss the NHL All-Star game Jan. 27 in Atlanta.
Crosby was carrying the puck in the Lightning end when Tampa Bay defenseman Paul Ranger rammed him with his stick, as Crosby was shooting from the right circle, and Crosby swiped at the puck again as he landed on the ice rear-end first. His momentum caused him to slam into the boards awkwardly with his right leg, his left leg raised, apparently unable to cushion himself as he normally would.
Crosby initially got to his feet and began to limp toward the Penguins bench, only to turn around and enter a doorway that leads to the tunnel to the Penguins locker room. He bent over after reaching the walkway and had to be helped to the dressing room.
Ranger was called for slashing on the play, but the Penguins did not score on the ensuing power play.
Crosby, the NHL’s scoring champion and MVP at age 19 last season, had moved into a tie with Atlanta’s Ilya Kovalchuk and Tampa Bay’s Vincent Lecavalier with 63 points going into Friday night’s games. Crosby had five goals and 15 assists in his previous 12 games.
Add A Comment
THIS IS NOT A GAMBLING SITE – If you think you have a gambling problem click here.
Disclaimer: This site is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Individual users are responsible for the laws regarding accessing gambling information from their jurisdictions. Many countries around the world prohibit gambling, please check the laws in your location. Any use of this information that may violate any federal, state, local or international law is strictly prohibited.
Copyright: The information contained on TheSpread.com website is protected by international copyright and may not be reproduced, or redistributed in any way without expressed written consent.
About: TheSpread.com is the largest sports betting news site in the United States. We provide point spread news, odds, statistics and information to over 175 countries around the world each year. Our coverage includes all North American College and Professional Sports as well as entertainment, political and proposition wagering news.
©1999-2023 TheSpread.com