Sidney Crosby's Return Marks Another Chapter in Superstar's Tumultuous Career

Sidney Crosby came into the league as the young man that would dominate the sport and rule the hockey world. In yet another lesson in humility, we see that some things cannot be taken for granted as the Penguins star takes the ice tonight after another long layoff. 

ESPN reports Crosby is expected to play in limited time tonight against the New York Rangers. Madison Square Garden will be the venue for the longest comeback story in the NHL. 

The report states Crosby will simply put his toes into the water this time around. He is expected to play about 15 minutes on the third line, alongside wingers Matt Cooke and Tyler Kennedy. 

Crosby was at the morning skate around on Thursday which has been somewhat of a luxury in this increasingly tumultuous career that has been marked more by the effects of concussions than it has been by his brilliant play. 

The 24-year-old superstar was forced to miss a great length of time after suffering a concussion in early 2011. He would end up missing games from January 2011 until he finally returned in November. 

After coming back to the aplomb of every hockey fan, he was beset by symptoms once again and has been sidelined since December 5th, missing 40 games. 

Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins have done the best they can without The Kid, and have actually flourished, going 42-21-5 on the season, sitting just behind the Rangers in the Atlantic Division. 

That makes the Thursday matchup a tremendous one where the Penguins can make some sort of statement that they are ready to usurp the Eastern power. 

That gets some added weight if Crosby can come out and look healthy with the least possible sign of rust. 

The Penguins are a great team without Crosby, but they are near unstoppable with him on the ice. Tonight's game will go a long way to illustrate what the rest of the season will look like, and whether Crosby will feature heavily in it.  

No matter your loyalties, you have to hope that Crosby's latest return is for the long haul, because he is simply so great for this sport. 

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