Will Sidney Crosby Stay Healthy For A Full Season?

Jun 5, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) takes a shot on goal while defended by Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference (21) during the second overtime period in game three of the Eastern Conference finals of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden. The Boston Bruins won 2-1. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Sidney Crosby is the best hockey player on the planet — period.

His play is unquestionably immortal and his contributions towards bettering the league are continuous.

But he’s got a little issue with staying healthy for an entire season.

Despite the campaign being shortened to 48 games last season, number-87 still managed to land himself on the injured reserve for an extended period of time.

Drilled in the mouth by a heavy Brooks Orpik slap shot on March 30th, Crosby wound up missing the final month of the season due to a broken jaw — which really was a freak accident.

Isn’t that how it always happens though, by a bizarre scene of events?

So not only is he getting injured, but his ailments aren’t normal — and so they should I suppose, considering he’s no ordinary hockey player.

Take it back to a few seasons before — everybody whose anybody remembers when Crosby was blindsided by Washington Capitals forward David Steckel during the 2011 Winter Classic.

Turning around to skate up ice, the captain was then promptly greeted by a shoulder into his facial area from Steckel, which caused him to miss the rest of the season and a few games into the 2011-12 campaign.

Although no one is quite sure if Steckel’s hit was the direct cause to his diagnosed concussion, it’s probably safe to say the incident was the catalyst to his blurred vision and blank memory.

Regardless, Crosby was out a long time — but it wasn’t just because of his concussion.

Seeking a second — or third for that matter — opinion on his concussion, Crosby saw a neurological spine specialist in Los Angeles (Dr. Robert S. Bray), who re-diagnosed the Pens star with cracks in the C1 and C2 of his uppermost vertebrae.

Here’s the thing though — the specialist said that they already had been healed by the time Crosby visited him, which meant that he broke them a year ago when he first sustained the concussion.

Again, it’s just Crosby’s luck that team doctors interpreted his injury wrong, prolonging his return to the game.

Forget those impairments, how about the time Crosby slid feet first into the boards and sprained his ankle?

2008, in a game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the captain — who was creating an offensive chance at the time — fell and jammed his ankle into the boards, causing him to miss several games amidst the Pens hot streak.

That’s a broken jaw, broken neck, concussion and a high-ankle sprain in reverse order of events.

But wait, there’s more.

Following his first career NHL playoff series against the Ottawa Senators in 2007, it was revealed after the team had been eliminated that Crosby broke a bone in his foot attempting to block a shot.

Unclear as to when he sustained the ailment, the team said that he’d been playing for quite awhile after he initially suffered the break — claiming that he could’ve been skating for well over a month with the bothersome injury.

A few bumps and bruises here and there — like when he injured his knee in Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals — Crosby could now write a book towards his wreckages.

And he’s still just 26-years-old!

Number-87 has missed just about 150 NHL games, so is this the year he plays a full season?

Not that he hasn’t ever skated a full campaign, but he’s only done it twice — his rookie year and the season after they won the cup in 2009.

There’s just always a cause for concern in Pittsburgh when he goes down because he’s …well, Sidney Crosby.

And without trying to jinx him by writing this article, it’s almost as if he’s just become prone to injury anyway.

Pens fans can only hope luck is on their side this time — cause they’ll surely need Sid for the long haul.