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Sidney Crosby's Olympic injury looks even worse now that Radko Gudas just wrecked Auston Matthews' season
Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
NHL Player Safety gave Radko Gudas five games Saturday after Auston Matthews' season-ending MCL tear, and Sidney Crosby fury roared back.
Sporting News picked up Mitch Marner's Thursday reveal that Crosby suffered a grade 2 MCL sprain in his right knee after the Milan collision.
Crosby was at 27-32-59 in 56 games before Milan, and Pittsburgh entered Saturday at 32-18-15, still alive in the Metro.
Matthews finished at 27-26-53 in 60 games, and Toronto lost its captain and first-line matchup center for the stretch run.
That is why this hit landed so hot. Fans did not see an isolated wreck, they saw the same wrecking ball again.
The league called Thursday's play kneeing, but the anger is easy to understand after Crosby missed Canada's 2-1 Olympic gold-medal loss to Team USA.
Sidney Crosby and Pittsburgh still feel this
Pens fans are boiling now, because every Gudas clip looks like a replay that stole Crosby from Canada and Pittsburgh.
Without Crosby, Pittsburgh loses its best half-wall brain, cleanest breakout touch, and matchup center for every top-six shift.
Saturday in Utah gets harder because Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell can finish, but neither replaces Crosby's control below the dots.
Toronto's side is different but connected. Matthews drives the man advantage, handles heavy draws, and bends coverages even during cold streaks.
For roster construction, this is the killer part. When Crosby or Matthews disappears, every line gets pushed a slot too high.
So the crossover outrage makes sense after Team USA won gold with Matthews as captain while Crosby watched from the press box.
Gudas' five games feels light to many fans because the damage lasts longer than the ban, in standings and in memory.
That is the real story, not one ugly collision but one defender changing two spring paths, and Utah could remind everybody of it tonight.
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| POLL | ||
MARS 14|163 ANSWERS Sidney Crosby's Olympic injury looks even worse now that Radko Gudas just wrecked Auston Matthews' season Should Radko Gudas have received a longer suspension after the Sidney Crosby and Auston Matthews injuries? | ||
| Yes | 155 | 95.1 % |
| No | 8 | 4.9 % |
| List of polls | ||