Sidney Crosby Takes To the Ice for First Time Since Injury

This morning, Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby skated for the first time since being injured by a concussion in early January.

The Penguins reported that Crosby skated in full gear for about 15 minutes in Pittsburgh. He took some shots and stick-handled around some cones on the ice. A brief video is up at www.pittsburghpenguins.com.

Crosby has missed 29 games since being hit into the boards by Tampa Bay's Victor Hedman on Jan. 5. This was the second shot to the head Crosby received, after suffering a blind-side hit during the Winter Classic against Washington on Jan. 1.

At the time, Crosby felt no concussion symptoms and was allowed to continue playing, until the hit by Hedman that put him out for an extended period.

Crosby was leading the league in scoring at the time of the injury with 32 goals and 34 assists in 41 games.

For a team that has seen significant injuries all season, this is much welcomed news. The Penguins have been without the services of their other star center, Evgeni Malkin, since he went down with an ACL and MCL tear in February that required surgery.

If Crosby can return to the lineup in time for the playoffs, and with other players returning to full health, look for the Penguins to be a dangerous opponent and renewed favorite for the Stanley Cup.