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Sidney Crosby back and Stuart Skinner starting stabilizes the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Taylor Haase reported Sidney Crosby is back tonight, and Pittsburgh gets its 27-32-59 driver back for a game that can swing its whole week.
That is not just a feel-good return. Crosby's $8.7 million cap hit buys first-line control, cleaner exits, and a power-play brain the Penguins have badly missed.
Haase also reported Stuart Skinner starts, which matters because Pittsburgh has tied its crease plan to the goalie acquired from Edmonton on Dec. 12.
Skinner carries a $2.6 million cap hit on an expiring deal, and his 20-13-8 line with a 2.78 goals-against average gives Pittsburgh a cheaper, stable lane between the pipes.
This is where the roster angle sharpens. Crosby back means Rickard Rakell gets his middle-lane connector again, and the Penguins can attack Carolina's blue line with faster second touches.
The Penguins are 34-18-15, and this is the kind of road game that tests whether the recent surge is real or just noise.
You can see the room crack into a smile when Evgeni Malkin delivers the update himself.
"Guys he's back. Crosby back!"
- Evgeni Malkin
- Evgeni Malkin
That clip lands because Pittsburgh has spent weeks trying to replace Crosby by committee, and that never fully works with this roster.
Sidney Crosby changes the Pittsburgh Penguins equation
Fans should read this as more than a lineup boost, because it settles the bench and clarifies every matchup slot.
Then Crosby says it himself, and the calm in that answer is almost the point.
Skinner's tweet matters too. Dan Muse can chase this game with less fear if the goalie structure holds behind the top line push.
If Crosby looks sharp in the first ten minutes, Pittsburgh stops surviving and starts dictating. That is the real story tonight.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Sidney Crosby's return instantly restores Penguins' top line dominance vs Hurricanes
Sidney Crosby's return instantly restores Penguins' top line dominance vs Hurricanes
| POLL | ||
MARS 18|100 ANSWERS Sidney Crosby back and Stuart Skinner starting stabilizes the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight Does Sidney Crosby's return make Pittsburgh the more dangerous team tonight? | ||
| Yes | 89 | 89 % |
| No | 11 | 11 % |
| List of polls | ||