Pens Points: Awaiting Word on Crosby

It’s another off day for the Penguins as they rest up in Newark preparing for their matchup with the New Jersey Devils on Friday night. Right now, the Penguins and their fans are all waiting on an injury update on captain Sidney Crosby and hoping it’s better than the latest rumor that was handed down on Wednesday.

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Sidney Crosby missed Tuesday night’s contest with the Rangers and based on the latest report, it may be awhile until we see Crosby back on the ice. According to Rob Rossi, Crosby is battling a sports hernia injury that may require surgery. [Pensburgh]

Even with the latest bit of news on Crosby’s injury, it remains just a rumor since the team has stayed mum on the issue. Until the team makes an official statement on what is ailing Crosby, he simply remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury. [Trib Live]

Losing Crosby for an extended period of time will no doubt hurt the Penguins, but it may hurt even worse should he decide to postpone any type of procedure only to need it further down the line when losing him could kill their season. [The Hockey News]

With many players stepping up in the wake of various injuries to key players, one player the Penguins are still waiting to take on a greater role is Alex Galchenyuk. Approaching two months into his Penguins career, Galchenyuk is still without a goal. [Pensburgh]

It’s no secret that age is catching up with the Penguins and with age the body can become more susceptible to injury. What we don’t know is if the recent spat of injuries is due to the aging roster or simply just a stroke of bad luck. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

It has been a rough stretch for the Penguins power play as of late, going scoreless in 11 games before cashing in Tuesday night. While the Penguins have struggled with the man advantage, it’s been the exact opposite when they’re doing the penalty killing. [Pensburgh]

Saturday night’s contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs will be the Penguins annual ‘Hockey Fights Cancer’ night at PPG Paints Arena. In warmups, the players will wear special lavender jerseys that will be auctioned off after the game. [Penguins]

If you have seen any of the postgame victory celebrations from inside the Penguins locker room this season, you will have seen the firefighter hat given to the player of the game. This idea came from Crosby who wanted to be a firefighter growing up. [Penguins]

This coming Monday, Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. From a player to an executive, Rutherford’s impact on the game of hockey is well worth the honor he is about to receive. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

News and notes from around the NHL...

Sports has an incredible way of lifting people up when they are at their lowest points in life. That was the case for one lucky Maple Leafs fan who met with Auston Matthews as he battles a potentially life threatening disease. [NHL]

Slowly but surely the NHL is adding puck and player tracking to arenas around the league with 22 set to be outfitted with the technology by New Year’s. If everything goes to plan, every arena will have the capability by playoff time. [Sports Video Group]

Many players throughout NHL history as synonymous with one team they played for although they may have ended their career in an unexpected locale. From Wayne Gretzky to Martin Brodeur, even the game’s biggest stars can make unexpected pit stops. [ESPN]