Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
ESPN overreacts to Sidney Crosby injury as Penguins depth drives 198 goals
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
This is Matt Gajtka on X, calling out ESPN's Sidney Crosby playoff-race panic around the Pittsburgh Penguins, and it tracks.
The Penguins can absolutely miss Crosby, and still keep their head above water.
As of Sunday, Pittsburgh sits 30-15-13 with 73 points, second in the Metro.
That matters because the problem is not "can they survive one bad week." It's "can they bank enough points to make April boring."
Crosby is still their engine, 27-32-59, and he's on IR after an Olympics lower-body injury with a minimum four-week window.
But the way some TV talk framed it, you'd think the whole roster is being held together with duct tape.
Here's the part that gets lost: they've built a forward group that can share the load when the top guy is out.
Evgeni Malkin has 13-33-46, and that assist total tells you he can still drive a line.
Bryan Rust is sitting on 19-22-41, and he plays like the score is personal.
Tommy Novak has chipped in 12-20-32, which is exactly the kind of "third-line points" that keep you afloat.
Sidney Crosby's absence tests Pittsburgh Penguins identity
Pens fans are nervous, sure, but there's also this quiet belief that the room isn't fragile anymore.
The biggest swing factor is not vibes, it's five-on-five finishing.
Pittsburgh has 198 goals for and 173 against, so the base is solid, but the Crosby-less games can't turn into one-goal nights.
The blue line still pushes offense, and the goalies have given them real minutes, with Stuart Skinner leading the way in starts.
If this turns into a grind, special teams and depth scoring decide it, not one missing superstar.
They don't need "prime Crosby." They need clean shifts, middle-six production, and two points at home when they're there.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Penguins linked to Olympic gold medalist Vincent Trocheck as potential trade deadline target
Penguins linked to Olympic gold medalist Vincent Trocheck as potential trade deadline target
Previously on HockeyUnplugged
| POLL | ||
MARS 1|184 ANSWERS ESPN overreacts to Sidney Crosby injury as Penguins depth drives 198 goals Should the Pittsburgh Penguins stay calm without Sidney Crosby? | ||
| Yes | 166 | 90.2 % |
| No | 18 | 9.8 % |
| List of polls | ||