Pittsburgh Penguins

The hockey world is not the same.

It seems like ages ago when Sidney Crosby ingrained himself in the hearts and minds of Canadians forever with his climactic Golden Goal against the Americans in the final of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

According to SportingNews, Sidney Crosby has visited a spine specialist after missing more than a month of play due to concussion-like symptoms.

Crosby visited with Dr. Robert S. Bray, a neurological spine specialist who has worked with the U.S. Olympic Team in the past.

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby is doing everything he can to make sure he's ready to return after his latest post-concussion symptoms and struggles, but he's not getting the support he needs from his teammates.

From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

The Pittsburgh Penguins have had 20 coaches in their long history. Despite their recent success, they had a long period where they just weren't very good.

They've also had periods where they've stood on top of the mountain.

Those periods of time were not only a testament to some great players like Sidney Crosby and Mario Lemieux, but coaches with leadership skills.

Here are some of the greatest bench bosses in Penguins' history.

The Penguins faced one of the hottest NHL teams on Friday night, the New York Rangers. After the Pens fell by a final score of 3-1, the loss wasn't the only dark cloud over Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Jordan Staal's left knee collided with Mike Rupp late in the third period. Staal immediately went to the ice, writhing in pain. 

Two days ago, Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma gave the hockey universe the first update on Sidney Crosby's second concussion hiatus.

"He's still having symptoms," said Bylsma.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have managed to find remarkable success without him, but now, with star center Sidney Crosby back in action, the Pens are better than ever.

Without Sid the Kid and Evgeni Malkin for a good portion of last year's season, the Penguins were still able to accumulate their second-highest point total in franchise history. With Crosby in the lineup this season, the Pens are 5-2-1, and Sid has 12 points in those eight games.

The Pittsburgh Penguins rebounded from an ugly loss to the New York Rangers by shutting the Washington Capitals down. The Capitals could only manage two shots on goal in the third period and lost to the Pens by the score of 2-1.

It was a confluence of stories when the Pittsburgh Penguins took on the Washington Capitals Thursday.

Sidney Crosby is a polarizing figure in hockey. Everyone has an opinion on him, whether they think he is the best player in the game or not (for the record, I think he is).

But Crosby has been in the spotlight over the last year not for his dazzling on-ice abilities, but as a victim of concussions due to getting hit in the head.