5 reasons the Penguins will start strong without Sidney Crosby
Even without Sidney Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins should be able to start their season strong. Here are five reasons why.
The Pittsburgh Penguins could be without their captain Sidney Crosby for a little while due to a concussion sustained on Friday Oct. 7. His timetable for return is not known, but considering Crosby’s history, a concussion is a very serious concern. Crosby has been a reason the Penguins have overcome injuries in the past, so could losing him mean another slow start to their season like 2015-16?
Probably not. Yes, Crosby is without a doubt the greatest hockey player in the world. However, it’s a testament to how good the Penguins are that they can overcome the loss of Crosby. Even without Crosby, the Penguins should be able to have a strong start to their season. Here are five reasons why.
5. The Penguins are already a very good team
Even without Crosby, the Penguins are a team with stars. As long as the rest of their stars can stay healthy, the Penguins should be able to tread water without Crosby. And as long as Crosby isn’t out long-term, that’s all they will be required to do.
Not many teams can replace Crosby with another number one center, but the Penguins are one of them. While Evgeni Malkin is not as great as Sid The Kid, he would be the number one center on just about any other team. Also, both centers tend to play better without the other in the lineup. Malkin had arguably his best season the same year Crosby was out with a concussion.
The issue has usually been the Penguins don’t have anyone capable of handling second line center duties when one of their stars is out. Thanks to Nick Bonino, the Penguins have the luxury of having an immediate replacement at second line center. The Penguins won the Stanley Cup last year and are bringing back most of their roster. They’ll be fine.
Mandatory Credit: Robert Mayer-USA TODAY Sports
4. Defense Will Step Up
Without Sidney Crosby, the Penguins offense isn’t going to be quite as lethal as it was in the Stanley Cup playoffs. This puts a bit of pressure on the Penguins defense to continue to be the remarkably efficient unit it has been under head coach Mike Sullivan. While it sounds like a difficult task, it is one the Penguins’ blue line is fully capable of handling.
The Penguins defense revolves around Kris Letang. While he has legitimate health concerns of his own, when he’s healthy, he’s one of the best defensemen in the NHL. Letang plays in all situations and is a net positive whenever he is on the ice. Olli Maatta is an important cog to the puzzle as well, even if the emergence of Brian Dumoulin will likely separate Maatta and Letang.
Trevor Daley is the wild card. If he is healthy, he can be a huge difference maker for the Penguins. Daley fit right in with the Penguins, playing huge minutes for them in the postseason before an ankle injury kept him out. Ian Cole and Justin Schultz form a nice third pairing which had success during the postseason. Derrick Pouliot provides valuable depth and stepped up in the postseason once Daley got injured.
Even if the offense isn’t fine without Sidney Crosby, the blue line is more than capable of stepping up.
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
3. Marc-Andre Fleury is a great goaltender
The Penguins’ defense will likely have to step up with Sidney Crosby out. Their blue line is capable of doing so, but that’s just half the battle. You also need a very good goaltender. Even with Stanley Cup hero Matt Murray out with a broken hand, the Penguins have a very capable goaltender in Marc-Andre Fleury.
Fleury has been a target for criticism for his postseason play, which is perhaps deserving. However, one thing even his harshest critics can’t deny is he is a very good goalie during the regular season. In each of his past two seasons, he has a save percentage of over .920, something not many goalies can say. Under Sullivan, Fleury was outstanding before a concussion and a groin injury cost him his job to Murray.
As long as Fleury continues to be steady in net, the Penguins should be able to hang on without Crosby. While they probably aren’t a Stanley Cup contender without Crosby, they’re at worst a fringe playoff team. Fleury is a huge part of replacing Crosby because it will be up to him and his defense to compensate for the offense. The Penguins are in very good hands with Fleury, and the decision to keep him now looks much better.
Mandatory Credit: Don Wright-USA TODAY Sports
2. A Favorable Schedule
Sidney Crosby could be out for the entire month of October. While his timeline isn’t known, a very conservative estimate for his return is at the beginning of November. If this is the case, the Penguins will have a somewhat favorable schedule to fall back on in October.
The Penguins will get a three game home stand to start the season. Sure, the Penguins have to open up against the Washington Capitals. But it’s only one game. And even with Crosby, the Capitals are going to come out with their guns blazing, looking to make a statement. Even Crosby might not be able to make a significant difference if the Capitals come out as motivated as it appears they will.
Pittsburgh will also face the Anaheim Ducks and the Colorado Avalanche during their first home stand. The Avalanche are definitely beatable. Unless Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle has changed, the Ducks are likely a fairly easy opponent for the Penguins as well. So going 2-1-0 during the first home stand is reasonable.
They face a bit of a tough schedule after that, facing the Canadiens, Sharks, Predators, Panthers, Islanders, and Flyers in order. However, they will face the Sharks, Panthers, and Islanders at home. The Panthers have been hit hard by injuries too. Even without Crosby, a 5-4-0 record is doable. As long as Crosby isn’t out long-term, that’s a pretty good start to the season all things considered.
Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
1. Evgeni Malkin can effectively replace Crosby
Sidney Crosby is very hard to replace; nearly irreplaceable, if you will. But if any player who can soothe the pain of losing him, it’s Evgeni Malkin. This sounds a bit like Ewing Theory, but the numbers check out — Malkin does better without Crosby in the lineup. To be fair, Crosby has stayed healthy since the lockout season, so there is no recent sample size. The only sample sizes are small and from at least four years ago. And they all paint one picture – Malkin is better without Crosby.
This is not a dig on Crosby at all. Clearly there are other factors at play. Maybe Malkin steps up his game to replace Crosby. Malkin inevitably gets more ice time without Crosby in the lineup, which leads to more points. Those are just two of the factors at play, and there are certainly others.
Let’s compare Malkin and Crosby. Their numbers are remarkably similar. Malkin has 0.458 goals per game over his career while Crosby has 0.478. The edge goes to Crosby, but it’s very slight. Crosby ranks first in assists per game among active players with 0.849, but Malkin’s right behind him in third with 0.722. Malkin averages over a point per game, so he’s about the best possible replacement for Crosby.
While Malkin isn’t as good as Crosby, he’s close enough. And history tells us he will step up his game without Crosby.
More from FanSided
This article originally appeared on 
