Pittsburgh Penguins: Why the Season Is Not over Without Sidney Crosby Available

Two days ago, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma gave the hockey universe the first update on Sidney Crosby's second concussion hiatus.

"He's still having symptoms," said Bylsma.

I'm not going to beat a dead horse here. If I had the knowledge to accurately project the length of time Sidney Crosby will be out, I probably would not be writing this article. So for our purposes, we will assume that Crosby is done for the year.

It's obvious that the Penguins receive an incredible boost to their offensive and defensive game when Crosby is in the lineup. Can they stay the course without the superstar? I think they can.

James Neal is the third-leading goal scorer in the NHL. With 21 goals thus far in the campaign, Neal is only one goal short of his entire total from last year.

Neal is seven goals short of passing his career high in goals. If the puck can keep bouncing Neal's way, his career year will continue and so should the Penguins' winning ways.

And if you thought James Neal has been good, Evgeni Malkin has been phenomenal. Malkin has six goals and 19 points in his last nine contests and has recorded 43 points through 30 games in total.

Although Malkin needs to work on his turnovers (especially in the defensive zone) and his faceoffs, Malkin can take control of a game like nobody else in the NHL can.

Marc-Andre Fleury has also performed his job quite well in between the goal posts. Recording a .915 SV percentage and a 2.27 GAA, Fleury has won 19 of the 30 games he has started.

With solid goaltending, almost any team can put themselves on the radar.

Jordan Staal has put his injury problems behind him for the last week, recording three goals in his last three games. Staal struggled when Crosby returned, but he has emerged once again with Crosby's departure. 

Along with the Penguins' star players doing their part, some unexpected names have played a huge part in the Penguins' success and will continue to do so as the second half of the season begins.

Simon Despres has emerged as a solid defenseman for Dan Bylsma. While he doesn't have the scoring ability of a Kris Letang, Despres is a strong skater and plays well in his own zone.

He is also not afraid to join the rush in the offensive zone and has played a key role on the power play

With Zbynek Michalek and Ben Lovejoy back from injury, the Penguins' defense corps is almost complete. If Letang can come back healthy this year, the Penguins will be as close to smooth sailing as they can get without their best player.

With the prospect of Crosby being out for the season, the Penguins are not looking back.

With Crosby's future in the dark, the Penguins will continue to fight their way towards to light that is Lord Stanley's Cup.