Sam Kasan of Pens Inside Scoop with the latest on Sidney Crosby, from Pens head coach Dan Bylsma:
Some numbers to throw your way:
-- Crosby’s last game was on Dec. 5 against Boston. He’s now been out for 12 games/36 days.
-- Over that stretch, the Penguins are 5-7.
-- On Dec. 5, the Penguins were first in the East with a 16-8-4 record, good for 36 points (second-most in the NHL.)
-- Today, they’re in eighth with a 21-15-4 record (46 points), and 17 teams have 47 points or more.
-- Crosby’s 12 points (in eight games) still have him 11th in scoring on the team. He has four more assists than Jordan Staal, who has played 34 games this year.
-- The Penguins have lost 210 man games to injury this year. Crosby and Kris Letang have combined to sit out 50.