Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has been declared out for four weeks. 

While the Penguins entered the Olympic break with 70 points and sitting at second overall in the Metropolitan division, now is the team’s time to prove themselves as they continue their pursuit of the playoffs without their captain.

Crosby, as always, has been a huge contributor to the Penguins’ current position. He leads the team in points with 59 points. Not only that, but his ability to excel in every aspect of the game provides support to his teammates.

Now that Crosby is out, these next four weeks will be crucial for the Penguins. Securing a playoff spot without their captain will not be an easy feat.

According to Penguins history Bob Grove, Crosby has not had a long-term absence due to injury like this since 2019. If he misses the full four weeks, which would add up to 15 games, this would become his fifth-longest recorded absence.

But with this setback, the team has a chance to show that – even without Crosby – they can keep performing as they have this year. 

The Penguins have had a problem with somewhat relying on Crosby to carry them to the playoffs in recent years. And each time they’ve missed the playoffs, proves that to be a horrible tactic. This year, however, there has been improvement.

Other players, such as Ben Kindel and Justin Brazeau, have been massive contributors to the team. Kindel, a rookie, sits with Brazeau at 27 points. Veterans like Bryan Rust and Evgeni Malkin have also shown lots of effort. Malkin, though he approaches retirement and faced an injury early in the season, has accumulated 44 points.

Now, these players are tasked with leading the team and proving themselves to fans. If they succeed, the Penguins will more than likely find themselves guaranteed a playoff spot. If not, fans could face another year of the Penguins missing the playoffs.