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Sidney Crosby breaks silence on injury after Team Canada 2-1 overtime gold medal loss
Photo credit: James Lang-Imagn Images
Sidney Crosby watched Team Canada lose the Olympic gold medal game 2-1 in overtime, and you could hear the pain in every word.
Canada pushed, defended, and owned long stretches against Team USA. Then Jack Hughes ended it at 1:41 of overtime and the building flipped.
Crosby did not dress because of a lower-body injury he suffered in the quarterfinal win over Czechia. He also missed the semifinal, and Sunday was the one that really mattered.
TSN asked the brutal question after the loss, how close were you to playing in the gold medal game.
“Ultimately, I wasn’t able to go out there and do what I needed to do to help the team win.”
- Sidney Crosby
- Sidney Crosby
That line is going to stick with fans in Pittsburgh too. Crosby never hides behind excuses, even when everyone already knows the reason.
Here’s the post with his quote.
Crosby also said it straight, watching is harder than playing. He called the effort “so good” and said Canada “did everything but score.”
"I definitely can feel that it's a lot easier playing than watching but I think everybody should be proud with how the team performed. We did everything but score. In every facet we were just so good today. I thought we deserved better, unfortuantely we didn't come away with the win."
- Sidney Crosby
- Sidney Crosby
That matches the feel of the game. Matt Boldy scored for the Americans, Cale Makar tied it, and Canada kept coming without finishing the last inch.
Sidney Crosby and Team Canada feel the empty space
Canadian fans are proud, but also furious, because this was right there and it slipped on one bounce.
The tactical ripple is obvious. Without Crosby, Canada lost the most reliable low-slot connector, the guy who wins the next puck when a shift turns messy.
It changes the man advantage too. His patience down low forces defenders to collapse, and that opens seams for shooters on the flanks.
Instead, Canada had volume and structure, but not that one touch that settles a goalie. Connor Hellebuyck saw enough of the first shot, over and over.
For the Penguins, the only priority now is the injury timeline. This is the kind of lower-body issue that can linger if you rush it.
Crosby’s quote lands because it sounds like a captain owning the room, even when he cannot step on the ice. Team Canada will feel that absence for a long time.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
Sidney Crosby sits out for Team Canada, Doug Armstrong says he stepped aside after meeting doctors
Sidney Crosby sits out for Team Canada, Doug Armstrong says he stepped aside after meeting doctors
Previously on HockeyUnplugged