Pittsburgh Penguins star center Sidney Crosby will miss Game 1 of the Pens' first round series with the New York Islanders tonight with a broken jaw, the same injury suffered against these very Islanders on March 30th.
Crosby was struck by the puck in the jaw in March against New York and has not played since then, a total of 12 games. The Penguins picked up his slack, however, going 8-4 in those 12 contests. For the season, the Penguins have owned the Islanders, beating them in four out their five meetings in 2013.
When asked how his most recent doctor visit went, Crosby said, ''He said everything looks good, he just wasn't prepared to let me play. Obviously I would love to have the chance to play tonight but that's not the way it is and (I'll) make sure I'm ready when the time comes.''
Crosby also does not yet have a timetable for his return to the ice, although he skated with his teammates this morning and spent an extra half an hour on the ice doing extra work, according to reports. ''He didn't give me a date and I'm sure if he gives a date, I'd have pretty high expectations of that date,'' Crosby said. ''I'm sure he's waiting until he feels comfortable.''
The Islanders knocked off the Penguins in their first game of the season, and were outscored by a total of 11 goals in the ensuing four matchups. Despite the rough pairing with Pittsburgh, the Islanders should be bolstered by the fact that they are in the postseason for the first time since 2007.
John Tavares, the Islanders leading scorer, said, "We've proven we have the ability to make the playoffs and be a tough team to play against and compete with every team in the league. Now it's another test, another level to challenge ourselves to be successful. This is that next step for us to raise our level. We ultimately want to win the Stanley Cup."
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