Sidney Crosby Returns: Report Card from His First Game Back After Concussion

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Before tonight, Sidney Crosby, arguably the greatest player that is currently under contract to an NHL hockey club, had not played a game since Jan. 5, 2011. Crosby was forced out of the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup after taking shots to the head in consecutive games in January that left him with a concussion.

Since that time, speculation ran rampant in respect to when he would return to the ice.  Throughout it all Crosby made one point clear: He would not return to game action until he was 100 percent ready. 

All the speculation came to an end over the weekend when it was revealed that Crosby would return to the ice on Nov. 21 when the Penguins faced off against the New York Islanders. 

With the game behind us, it's time to look back on the performance of Crosby in his game against the Islanders.  What follows is a report card on No. 87's performance from the CONSOL Energy Center.

Conditioning: A

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Crosby's total time on the ice was 15:54, with an average time of 45 seconds for his 21 shifts. His conditioning appeared to be a non-issue during the course of the game.

With that being said, the New York Islanders did not offer much in the way of competition tonight. Crosby said in an interview with Versus commentator Pierre McGuire after the game, "In a game like tonight you run on adrenaline, the next few it will start to set in and it will be a little tougher."

Due to that fact, Crosby gets an A for his conditioning tonight, but we'll put an asterisk next to that and watch it as the adrenaline rush wears off and he gets a little deeper into the grind.

Passing: A

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A game against the 29th-ranked Islanders was the perfect time to bring No. 87 back into the Penguins fold.

On the power play 11 minutes into the first period, Crosby dished a pass to Evgeni Malkin that he rang off the post beside Islanders goaltender Anders Nilsson. 

His passing on the forehand and especially the backhand was crisp and accurate, earning him two assists.

Shooting: A

If you need to see proof that Crosby did not lose his scoring touch, just check out the goal he scored in the first period.  It's pretty clear the scoring touch is still there.

Throughout the game Crosby took eight shots, two of which found the back of the net.  One of those six remaining shots was a rocket of a backhand that appeared to rival the force of many other players wrist shots.

Agressiveness: A

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Crosby played this game as if he had not missed a single shift.  He feared no areas of the ice, he avoided no contact.  Crosby showed no fear upon his return and that bodes well for not only his future, but for the future of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Taking Hits: B

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Crosby took only one hit during the course of the game. The hit, delivered from Travis Hamonic, was not exactly a bone-crushing hit, it was more of a push, but it sent Crosby into the boards and down. Crosby picked himself up, looking none the worse for wear.

The jury is still out on whether or not he can take a hit. It will be interesting to see how Crosby responds when he takes a solid shoulder to the chest hit that sends him airborne.

Crosby also took a crosscheck in the back during the first period that did not seem to bother him one bit.

It should be noted that Crosby did not shy away from the high-traffic areas during the course of play, implying he would be fully comfortable with any type of hit that could be coming his way.

Cohesion with Team: A

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Winning a game 5-0 and having four points in that game will bring a smile to any player and allow the team as a whole to be loose.

The Penguins bench, including head coach Dan Bylsma, seemed relaxed and glad to have their captain back on the ice.

As Jordan Staal said between periods two and three, "He's a stud, obviously.  The things he does out there, the spark he plays with, it's hard not to follow a guy like that and he's done a great job."

Plus/Minus: A

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Two goals, two assists and one blocked shot for Crosby for a plus-three.  He shared that team-high number with two other players on the hockey club, Pascal Dupuis and Chris Kunitz. Not too shabby.

Overall Grade: A

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Crosby dominated the game from the initial faceoff.  His return game, his first time on the ice since Jan. 5, was an almost perfect performance.  There was really not one point that Crosby could have improved on. 

Everyone involved with the Penguins organization should be celebrating—Sid the Kid is back, and if he is less than 100 percent, the rest of the NHL is in big trouble.