One of the top stories of 2011 trickled over to 2012, and that was the health of the game’s top player. Sidney Crosby suffered another concussion in December that forced the Penguins captain out of the lineup for more than 3 months.
April 11, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) takes the ice against the Philadelphia Flyers before the first period in game one of the 2012 Eastern Conference quarterfinals at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Philadelphia Flyers won 4-3 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
While questions swirled about how much longer Crosby would be able to play, and whether he should come back at all and risk his future health, he cam back on March 15th and proceeded to put up 25 points over the final 14 games of the season to lead a powerful Penguins team into the playoffs.
The Pens drew what would have been considered their worst possible matchup in the first round, and after a physical, brutal and at times sloppy series, the Penguins bowed out the the Flyers in 6 games. Crosby scored 8 points in the first 4 games of the series, but was held pointless in the final 2. His uncharacteristic lack of composure during the series was one reason for the downfall of the Penguins. His frustrations and emotional play could be construed as further evidence of lingering post-concussion symptoms.
Crosby has faced numerous obstacles since he entered the league with much fanfare in 2005. The concussion problems he has faced, and thus far been able to overcome, has been perhaps the biggest. He has used his injuries as a platform to try and effect change to how the game is governed and how the league deals with head injuries and the type of plays that cause them.