Crosby Remains Out Of Lineup With Concussion
PITTSBURGH (KDKA/AP) - As he remains bothered by a concussion, Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby will not resume practicing or playing until he is symptom-free.
Pens' head coach Dan Bylsma offered an update on Crosby's condition Saturday afternoon from the CONSOL Energy Center.
"Post-Winter Classic game he had neck symptoms, did not have concussion symptoms. After the Tampa Bay game, he was not feeling right, and per our doctors orders, if he woke up in the morning and felt the same way that he would need to get evaluated," said Bylsma. "He woke up in the morning and still wasn't feeling completely right.
"The only reason he left Montreal was because he was able to get on a flight with Matt Cooke. [He] chartered in a flight to get home to deal with his family issues. So, Sid was able to hop on that flight and come home with him and see doctors that day," he said.
The Penguins' captain was held out of the pregame skate before Saturday night's contest against Minnesota, the second straight game he has missed.
But Crosby did speak with the media about his condition.
"It's hard to explain. I guess anybody who has kind of gone through it would be able to explain it better; but you just, you feel off, headaches, you feel a little sick – that's basically the symptoms," said Crosby. "That's kind of what it's been like the past couple of days."
Crosby absorbed a blind side hit to the head from the Capitals' David Steckel during the Winter Classic on Jan. 1, but initially felt only neck soreness.
He began feeling worse Wednesday during the match-up against Tampa Bay. During that game, Crosby was driven into the boards headfirst by the Lightning's Victor Hedman.
"I didn't like them," Crosby said of the hits. "You talk about headshots and dealing with them and that's been something that's been a pretty big point of interest for everybody from GMs and players. When I look at those two hits, I mean, we talk about blindside – that's a big word – and unsuspecting player, and there's no puck there in both of them, and direct hit to the head in both of them. So, I mean, you want to go through the criteria, I think they fit all those. I know it's a fast game… and I've been hit a thousand times, but when you get hit like that, there is nothing you can do."
Meanwhile, the NHL's leading scorer isn't expected to play Monday against Boston or Wednesday at Montreal.
"I think it's kind of a process, you just go based on your symptoms, and hopefully soon I'll be symptom-free and be able to start doing exercise, and then if I can get through that without any symptoms then you go to the next step and maybe skating and stuff like that," said Crosby. "I don't want to come back too soon and I know that they [the doctors] won't allow that to happen. It's pretty serious and you want to make sure you're completely clear."
Watch other player interviews --
Jordan Staal:
Matt Cooke:
