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Sidney Crosby is the NHL’s First Star of the Week

Image (1) Crosby-thumb-250x185-6565.jpg for post 99

After tallying nine points (2G-7A), posting a league-high plus-7 rating, walking on water and multiplying loaves of bread, Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby has been named the NHL’s first star of the week.

It was a glorious return to action for No. 87. He scored on his first shot on goal in over 10 months and kept rolling from there, helping Pittsburgh secure seven of eight available points to finish atop the overall standings. Crosby even gave reporters a compelling soundbite when he went after Ottawa’s Nick Foligno. It was a good week.

Second star went to Vancouver Canucks backup netminder Cory Schneider. Wait, is he still considered the backup? ‘Cause he might not be for long. Schneider posted a perfect record with a 0.67 goals-against average and .978 save percentage with two shutouts. (Two more shutouts than Roberto Luongo has this year, in case you were wondering.) Schneider blanked the Avalanche and Coyotes and won his fourth straight by stopping 43 shots against the Sharks on Saturday.

And I know we just inundated you with numbers, but here are two more: 11 and 54. Those are the amount of years and millions of dollars left on Luongo’s contract.

Third star went to St. Louis goalie Brian Elliott. Like Schneider, Elliott is a backup that’s outplaying the starter (in the Blues’ case, Jaroslav Halak.) Elliott posted three consecutive victories with a 0.98 goals-against average, .963 save percentage and one shutout. Elliott also became the first goalie in over 70 years to allow two goals or fewer in his first 11 starts -- one more and he matches Hockey Hall of Famer Frank Brimsek of the Boston Bruins, who began the 1938-39 season with 12.