Sidney Crosby is under no illusion he will immediate reclaim the mantle of the world’s greatest player as he embarks on his return to the NHL with Thursday night’s match against the Rangers at the Garden after having played just eight games since the first week of January, 2011.
“I don’t expect to be where I was 14 months ago,” No. 87 said following the Penguins’ morning skate, hours before suiting up for the first time since Dec. 5. “I expect to play at a good level and contribute, but I’ll have a better idea where I am after I play some games.
“I’m going to try to get the most out of myself. I’m not going out there to try and kill time.”
This marks Crosby’s second comeback of the season, the first an eight-game cameo from Nov. 21 to Dec. 5 during which he recorded 12 points (2-10) before forced out with a recurrence of post-concussion symptoms that had first sidelined him for last season’s final 40 games after taking blows from David Steckel and Victor Hedman on Jan. 1 and Jan. 5, 2011, respectively.
Crosby, who played with an edge in his first return, said that he would not deviate from his customarily combative and edgy style in an attempt to protect himself against injury.
“I can’t worry about being hurt; I have to play the same way,” said Crosby, who will skate on the Penguins’ third line between Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy while also manning the power play point. “The more you hesitate, the more you get hit; the more you hesitate, the more you get into trouble.
“[My first time back], if anything, I probably looked [to play physically] a little too much, to be honest. But I’ve practiced hard, got in a lot of good contact, and I’m more than confident.”
The Rangers, who have won two straight following their first three-game losing streak of the season, hold a six-point division and conference lead over the Penguins, who have won nine straight. The Rangers have 13 games remaining to the Penguins’ 14 including a match in Pittsburgh three weeks from tonight, on Apr. 5, in what will mark the penultimate game for both clubs.
John Tortorella, the Rangers’ coach, refused to attach any added significance to Thursday’s match, even talking claptrap that it’s not his objective to finish in first place.
Dan Bylsma, the Penguins’ coach, said that, “if we want to catch the Rangers for first place we have to beat them both games.
“We have to come here and get two points, I don’t think getting one point is realistic when our goal is to [win] the division.”
The Penguins go from New York to New Jersey to face the Devils on Saturday, and then to Philadelphia to meet the Flyers on Sunday.
Bylsma said that that management has theoretically discussed not using Crosby — slated to get between 13:00-and-16:00 Thursday night — in all three games, then laughed away the possibility.
“It’s kind of a joke,” the coach said. “What; he’s going to sit out against the Devils? He’s not going to play in Philadelphia?
“It’s not a feasible scenario.”
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Martin Biron will be in goal for the Rangers for the second straight game with Henrik Lundqvist sidelined by the after-effects of the flu that kept him playing Tuesday against Carolina. The King participated in the morning skate but will not dress, Chad Johnson again having been recalled from the AHL Whale to serve as the back-up.
Ryan Callahan (foot) will miss his third straight and sixth of the last nine while Michael Del Zotto (hip or ribs) will miss his fourth straight and fifth of the last eight. Rangers declined to provide a status update for either player.