Pens' Lose To Wild: I Hope It's Not A Trend ...

Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Pittsburgh Penguins scored 8 goals in a win over the Tampa Bay Lightning with their Captain contributing only one assist on the scoresheet.

However, in the two games since -- with Sidney Crosby sitting out both because of post-concussion symptoms -- the Pens have scored one goal in two games, both of which were losses not coincidentally, including last night's miserable 4-0 whitewashing by the Minnesota Wild at the CONSOL Energy Center.

I certainly hope this isn't a trend, because I don't see the Penguins' Captain returning for at least several more games.

The Penguins looked like a lost and frustrated group last night -- again unable to generate offense because of an inability to get pucks deep or get speed going.

There just wasn't a lot to write home about in this one folks.

Chuck Kobasew and Martin Havlat scored in the first period for Minnesota, and Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Brodziak added 3rd period tallies for the Wild, the last of which into an empty net, in sending the Penguins to their second straight defeat.

Pittsburgh was outshot 37-26 on the night, and failed on 4 power play chances.

Marc-Andre Fleury took the loss, continuing the Pens' miserable record against the Wild in the last half a dozen or so seasons, when I believe they have only beat Minnesota one time --- and have lost 4 or 5 in row to them in Pittsburgh

Much more interesting than the on-ice action last night, though, was the comments made earlier in the day by Crosby, who spoke publicly for the first time since being diagnosed with a concussion.

And, in a bit of a surprise stance, the league's best player and ambassador was somewhat critical of the league in the way it handled the two hits he sustained which have combined to give him the neck stiffness and headaches he's been dealing with the last few days.

"You talk about head shots and dealing with them, and that's been something that's been a pretty big point of interest with everybody" Crosby said.  "When looking at those hits .... there's no puck there -- and a direct hit to the head on both of them.  If you want to go through the criteria, I think they fit all those."

I know Crosby is frustrated, and I can't stand seeing him out of the Penguins' lineup, but as I said here a few days ago, I'm still not seeing it.

For those who haven't seen the hits, the hit Washington Capitals' forward David Stecklel laid on Crosby at the end of the second period of Saturday night's Winter Classic can be found here, while the even simpler hit that Lightning defenseman Victor Headman put on Sid wednesday evening can be found here.

In my mind, Crosby is out of the lineup more because of the Steckel hit because it was a lot harder -- or perhaps the cumulative effect of both -- but as I said, I don't think either were penalties or anything close to fine or suspension-worthy.

In associating the word "blindside" with those hits, it tends to bring to mind the two most vicious blindside hits the NHL has seen in recent years -- and the impetus to bring about the league's rule changes trying to target those hits.   Of course, those were the hits that Fhiladelphia Flyers' forwrad Mike Richards laid on Florida Panthers' forward David Booth and the hit that his own teammate, Matt Cooke, put on Bruins' forward Marc Savard.

In my opinion, both hits Crosby sustained weren't really anything like those checks.  The Hedman one was pretty much a simple push when Crosby was already up against the boards, and I still continue to see the Steckel hit (which I have viewed over and over and over again for anything I may have missed) as incidental contact --- contact that, unfortunately, occurred between #87 and a player much bigger than him.

It doesn't sound as if Crosby is going to continue to make an issue out of what happened, but it certainly was interesting to see the face of the league seemingly speak out -- albeit carefully -- against the NHL for not taking action to punish or discipline the hits (and players) that have left him concussed.

For their part, head coach Dan Bylsma reiterated yesterday that Crosby was evaluated by doctors after the Steckel hit and before Pittsburgh's next game against the Lightning.  According to him, Crosby's neck was a little sore, but that wasn't viewed as a concussion related symptom. 

I presume the other symptoms must have come later, because while neck stiffness isn't the most obvious concussion symptom like headaches and dizzyness are, neck soreness can be a symptom of a concussion. 

Let's hope the Penguins and their team doctors at least considered the possibility that Sid might be having concussion-related symtpoms after Crosby's direct hit to the head by Steckel -- even if they only came in the form of neck pain.

Regardless, the Penguins need to find a way to start generating some offense, and they'll have a chance to do so again starting tomorrow night against the Boston Bruins.

I know I still owe some 24/7 reviews, and a post of team-grades at the halfway point of the season.  I'll try to get something up on at least one of those subjects tomorrow.  It's been a crazy weekend.

Thanks for reading ....