Could the Penguins Survive Without Sid?

In the wake of Sidney Crosby’s injury at the Olympics, things are more than a bit unsettled. No one seems to know much about the nature and severity of his ailment, believed to involve his right leg. The best we can get is a vague “day-to-day” classification.

As we’ve seen with Justin Brazeau and, more recently, Evgeni Malkin, day-to-day can turn into a month-long absence in the blink of an eye.

I guess we’ll know more if Sid’s able to suit up for Canada’s semifinal clash today with Finland.

All this got me to wondering. What if Sid’s injury is more serious than we know and he’s forced to miss a chunk of time, heaven forbid? Would the Penguins survive?

Before I expound, step into the WABAC machine with me. The date, March 11, 2016. Game 67. The venue, Nationwide Arena, Columbus.

Malkin had just set up Carl Hagelin for the go-head goal in what would ultimately be a 3-2 victory over the ultra-physical Blue Jackets. Moments later, Geno was run into the end boards by rugged Dalton Prout. His left arm took the brunt of the hit. Geno immediately dropped his stick and exited the ice with his arm limp at his side.

The prognosis afterward was grim. Geno would miss six-to-eight weeks.

The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time. The Pens had gone through an extended stretch of alternating wins and losses and were in a nip-and-tuck battle for a playoff spot. They could ill-afford to lose Geno, who had 27 goals and 58 points in 57 games and had recently shown great chemistry with Hagelin and Phil Kessel.

How would they possibly survive without him?

Veteran Matt Cullen was a solid producer with top-six experience. However, coach Mike Sullivan bypassed “Team Dad” and slipped current assistant Nick Bonino into Geno’s spot instead. At the time, “Bones” had something like four goals. Frankly, I thought Sully’d lost his mind.

Against the odds, the new combo, soon to be dubbed the HBK Line, thrived. So did the Pens. They went a scorching 13-2 down the stretch to nail down second place in the Metro.

Geno returned for Game 2 of the opening-round series and tallied 18 points while helping to propel the storybook Pens to a Cup.

Could history repeat itself? Could the team survive and even thrive without Crosby?

What struck me while doing my research was the stunning similarity between Geno’s numbers then and Sid’s now. Virtually identical with Sid recording one more assist in one less game.

Too, the ’15-16 Cup champs and our current Pens actually have a lot in common. A particular hallmark, enviable forward depth with the ability to roll four lines. While there’s no question Sid’s absence would leave a gaping hole (how do you replace arguably the greatest all-around player of all-time), there are indications we’d survive.

In the six games prior to the Olympics break, Sid went into a bit of a swoon with just two assists. Yet thanks to our depth, the Pens went 4-1-1 over that stretch while piling up 26 goals, an average of better than four per game.

Too, we have a positive 5v5 goal differential (86-75) when Sid’s not on the ice.

As for who would replace our captain, and I use that term loosely?

If production is a basis for promotion, Avery Hayes would get the nod. He’s been positively on fire of late with 10 goals in his last 10 AHL games, not to mention his two-goal NHL debut. However, Avery plays right wing, where the Pens are relatively flush.

My best guess? Rutger McGroarty, who has points in 11 of his 13 AHL games, would be promoted to left wing on the top line, with Rickard Rakell sliding to center. This would enable coach Dan Muse to keep his other three lines intact.

The wild card you simply can’t account for? The affect Sid’s absence would have on match-ups. If No. 87 was to miss time, the piping hot Malkin-Tommy Novak–Egor Chinakhov unit would likely draw the most difficult opposition.

Would they hold up?

Obviously, there’s no way to know.

However, I get a special feeling about this group, the way they play together and their esprit d corps. I think they’d rise to the challenge of playing without Sid, at least in the short run. That might be all we need to stay on pace for a playoff spot…and beyond.

UPDATE

Sid did not dress for Canada’s semifinal match with Finland.