Screw Matt Niskanen, Alex Blowvechkin, and the Capitals. Sidney Crosby will miss Wednesday night's contest at PPG Paints Arena, but the Penguins bench is ready to step up in his absence.
"We will evaluate him day-to-day," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "He will go through the protocols that we always put our guys through when they've been diagnosed with a concussion."
Crosby suffered the concussion on Monday night following a play five minutes into the first period. During the sequence Crosby was driving to the net when Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin's stick caught him in the head.
Ovechkin also clipped Crosby's skate, causing the Pens center to lose balance and fall toward the side of the crease. At that point Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen collided with Crosby, again catching him in the helmet.
Crosby, who hours earlier had been named as an NHL MVP candidate for the Hart Trophy, left the game and did not return.