There’s no way in you know where that Matt Niskanen should be suspended for Sidney Crosby’s latest concussion.
The Capitals defenceman was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct for cross-checking the Penguins captain and NHL superstar in the first period of Monday night’s Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series.
But no further discipline has been handed to Niskanen by the league, and rightfully so.
I don’t buy that he intended to smash his stick across Crosby’s noggin.
It happened way to fast for it to be determined a premeditated attack.
READ MORE: Sidney Crosby leaves game after taking a hit to the head from Capitals forward Matt Niskanen
Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan says Crosby will miss Game 4 on Wednesday night, adding “We will evaluate him from there.”
If there is a glimmer of hope, Sullivan also said of Crosby, “He’s very upbeat and positive. We’re very optimistic and hopeful we’ll have him back in a timely fashion.”
But with concussions, as we’ve come to know, no one really knows how an individual is going to react.
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And the more concussions an individual suffers, the greater the risk of long term implications.
Crosby has dealt with multiple concussions during his career, including one in which needed nearly two years to fully recover from.
We’d all love to see him back sooner rather than later.
But we also want him to be healthy, and that is especially true for his post-hockey life.
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