Sidney Crosby Returns: What to Expect in His First Game Back

One would think that a mid-November Penguins versus Islanders game would be an affordable game to go to, right?

Well, not anymore because the greatest player in the game is set to return.

The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar is expected to play against the New York Islanders Monday night at the CONSOL Energy Center on Versus.

Now, the cheapest ticket available for this game is $155 on StubHub as of Monday morning. That is almost twice the value compared to following game against St. Louis on Wednesday. 

This is definitely one of the most important moments thus far in the 2011-12 season. Sidney Crosby's addition to the Penguins lineup makes the team one of the most complete in the NHL. 

It'll be interesting to see if Crosby is timid in his return. Many believe that because he hasn't taken a hit in more than 10 months, he won't be skating as hard and may be reluctant to take a hit. 

However, there's a reason why the Penguins were so cautious in bringing him back: It's so that he wouldn't shy away from hits. They let him ease into the recovery process so that he would be 100 percent ready to go.

People also seem to forget that another Penguins legend, Mario Lemieux, came back from a 3.5-year retirement, only to score 76 points in half a season. Nobody was concerned about the 35-year-old Lemieux taking a hit then. He seemed to be just fine.

This isn't to say that Crosby will record a three-point night against the Islanders like Lemieux did in his first game back against the Leafs back in 2000. 

Also, if any of the Islanders even make it seem like they want to headhunt Crosby, tough guys like Matt Cooke, Arron Asham, Deryk Engelland and Craig Adams will let it be known that such behavior will not be tolerated. 

Fans will be revved and this should give the Penguins and their players even more energy against a rival they clashed fists with last year in Long Island in an epic and ugly brawl. 

But Crosby should be fine. He'll be an impact, especially on the powerplay. 

Sid and Evgeni Malkin will be a threat on the man advantage and now with James Neal in the picture, the Penguins powerplay looks like an unstoppable downhill train. Expect this unit to click immediately. 

Crosby has been electric during practice in the last month or so with the team. He has dazzled his teammates and has had all of Pittsburgh anxiously await his return.

Coach Dan Bylsma probably will not play Crosby more than 20 minutes, just so that he acclimates more smoothly into the rigors of the NHL. That being said, this does not mean that Crosby is going to shy away from contact. It just means he'll get less playing time than he usually did. He'll give full effort. He's a gamer. If he's hesitant, it'll only be for a few minutes.

With the CONSOL Energy Center crowd roaring as if it's a playoff game, there's no way Crosby is not going to be skating hard every second he's on the ice. He misses the game so much and he's been denied of doing what he loves most for almost a year now. It's only natural that he comes back more energized than he's ever been.

It's been a really long time, but for the first time in ages Penguins fans can honestly smile and say the legendary words of Badger Bob Johnson:

"It's a great day for hockey."