The Penguins entered Game 5 of their first-round NHL playoff series up three games to one on the Rangers. They exited it with a 3-2 series lead and without the heart of their team on the ice.
Sidney Crosby, who has been sensational in the series with nine points and two goals, was eventually forced to leave the game in the second period after taking a hard, high hit from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba.
Crosby not on ice for the start of the 3rd pic.twitter.com/tpEXqRUYCd
— Rich Walsh KDKA (@RichieWalsh) May 12, 2022
The injury was to Crosby's head, according to The Athletic's Jesse Marshall.
Crosby getting taken out with a head injury while playing some of the best hockey of his life for a second time doesn’t seem anything other than cruel.
— Jesse Marshall (@jmarshfof) May 12, 2022
Trouba was not penalized for the hit. The league followed it up by saying that there would be no hearings for any incidents from Wednesday's games, meaning Trouba will not be fined or suspended for the hit.
Crosby took two shifts after the hit, NHL.com noted, before sitting out the remainder of the second period and all of the third period.
The Post-Gazette's Mike DeFabo posted an image on Twitter of Crosby walking out of Madison Square Garden after the game, a 5-3 Penguins loss.
Sidney Crosby walks out of Madison Square Garden after being knocked out of Game 5. pic.twitter.com/rCGeqetxLK
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) May 12, 2022
Coach Mile Sullivan said on Thursday morning that Crosby would be evaluated in Pittsburgh and did not give into any other specifics on the injury.
Mike Sullivan: "Sidney Crosby will be evaluated when he goes back to Pittsburgh with us today. His injury is an upper-body injury. I'm not going to get into more specifics with that."
— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) May 12, 2022
Sidney Crosby head injury history
Crosby has a long history of head injuries. He missed 108 games from 2010-12 because of a concussion and concussion-related symptoms. He missed six games in the 2016-17 season with another concussion.
That's 114 games total missed to concussions and/or concussion symptoms. If he's sidelined for Game 6 of the series Friday in Pittsburgh, it would be the first game he has missed for a head injury since 2017.
This article will be updated.
