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Sidney Crosby injury forces heartbreaking gold medal decision for Canada
Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Sidney Crosby is out for the gold medal game, and Team Canada feels lighter without its captain, right knee pain and all.
This isn’t load management, it’s survival.
Crosby took the injury in the second period of the quarterfinal win over Czechia on Wednesday.
He already missed Canada’s 3-2 semifinal win over Finland on Friday, so this is now two straight games.
The brutal part is there was real optimism after he skated Saturday.
Canada and the U.S. are unbeaten, and the margin in a gold medal game is always thin.
Jon Cooper’s stance matched the room, nobody dresses as a mascot when it’s this big.
Sidney Crosby and Team Canada choose the hard truth
Fans hate it, because Crosby is the guy you trust when nerves spike and shifts get messy.
Friedman’s context makes it even more Crosby, they tried everything, felt hope yesterday, then he decided he couldn’t be enough of a factor.
He didn’t want to go if Canada couldn’t run all 13 forwards and chase a win properly.
So the pivot is clear: Connor McDavid keeps the “C” and drives the engine, with 13 points in five games.
Canada keeps the same lineup as the semifinal, and it has to be enough between the pipes and on the man advantage.
If Canada wins, it will feel like a statement about depth. If Canada loses, this will feel like the “what if” game for years.
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Team USA captain Auston Matthews discusses his opinion on Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby
Team USA captain Auston Matthews discusses his opinion on Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby