The Sports Monitor

Did Sidney Crosby get special treatment while renewing his driver's license? I don't care either way. I don't expect the Penguins to admit their superstar got bumped to the front of the line. And I wouldn't expect the DMV to keep Crosby waiting in line for an extended period of time. Yeah, it would stink to be there for an hour and see Crosby walk up and go to the front of the line. But can you imagine the problems that would arise if Crosby waited, while everyone hit social media to say where Crosby was?

Geno's back. Evgeni Malkin's unassisted goal in the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning was a thing of beauty. It's good to see him back on the ice. And, not to be outdone, Sidney Crosby had a nice one-timer for a goal in the third, too. The Pens look good and they're fun to watch. Can't wait for the playoffs.

10-3. Shocking score in quite an entertaining series. It likely would be more entertaining if the Penguins were leading or even tied in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the Philadelphia Flyers. Unfortunately, they trail 3-1 after shellacking the Flyers 10-3 in Game 4. Evgeni Malkin scored twice, Jordan Staal had a hat trick and the Penguins exploded on offense. Marc-Andre Fleury played well in net, too -- at least after the first period. It's just too bad this win, the first in the series if you haven't been paying attention, came in Game 4. If this had happened in the first three games, then I'd give the Pens a shot to rally from 3-1 down. It's nice they get to return home for Game 5. It'd be even better if they won it. A nice 5-1 win, or even better, a shutout, would do wonders after a laugher like Wednesday. At least the Pens aren't going down without a fight.

I had a little more rooting interest in the Pittsburgh Penguins this year than I have in the past. It was nothing special, but for me it was added incentive to follow them in the playoffs this spring. I got to the Consol Energy Center for the first time about a month ago and had excellent seats, just four rows from the ice. Like I said, nothing special, but it felt like I had more of an interest in this year's squad. There was something special about seeing them in person. The Penguins beat the Coyotes that night, playing wonderful defense and getting great goaltending from Marc-Andre Fleury. Today, just a day away from Game 4 of the Penguins' series against the Philadelphia Flyers, I wonder what the heck happened to that team I saw a few weeks ago. The team I saw then wouldn't be trailing the Flyers 3-0 and be a good bet to book tee times as soon as Thursday. I was fired up about the postseason. I thought they were a threat, but I wasn't as blinded by loyal...

Sidney's back. That's great news for Penguins fans. The hottest team in the NHL (9-game winning streak) gets the best player on the planet back -- with apologies to Evgeni Malkin, the likely MVP. There's only one question I have going into Thursday's return of Crosby against the first-place Rangers. Will he finish the season? My fear is he's the next Eric Lindros, someone who will be forced to retire because of concussions. However, I'm not sold on Crosby being the next Lindros. My hope is the neck injury was more of a cause of his latest setback than anything else. If that's the case, and he just happened to be an athlete who had a concussion, the Penguins will be fine. With the playoffs near and the intensity higher than it was when Crosby made his brief return earlier in the season, I think we'll find out soon enough.

Deep in the back of many, if not all Penguins' fans, there should have been concern about Sidney Crosby's health. There was probably some who worried more than others, but the threat was real: What if Crosby gets another concussion? It didn't take too long to find out. Crosby missed two games last week as a precaution after a hard hit against the Bruins. That precaution has been elevated. Crosby is out indefinitely with concussion-like symptoms. He didn't suffer a concussion, they say, it's just his body's not right. I don't know about you, but I'm worried. Yeah, I'm worried about the Penguins and Crosby's career. But that's nothing compared to Sid's health. That should be everyone's concern. I'm afraid what might happen if a goon takes a cheap shot on Crosby. It doesn't even have to be a cheap shot. Crosby could get leveled by a clean check and that could end his career. It might not matter how long Crosby sits....

Wow. After missing almost 11 months of hockey, the Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby returned to the ice Monday night and didn't miss a beat. Rarely has a hockey game in mid-November been must-see television, but Crosby's much-anticipated return made it a can't-miss game. Boy, did Crosby deliver. He picked up right where he left off in January when two concussions forced him from the game when he was the best player on the planet. Less than six minutes into Monday's game against the Islanders, Crosby delivered his first goal. He followed with two more assists. In the third period, Crosby's backhand found the back of the net to give him two goals and two assists in his return. Every time he touched the puck, it was excitement. It felt like watching an overtime hockey game in the playoffs. You just knew something could happen at any second. And it nearly did, too. Crosby's game sure hasn't missed a beat while he was gone, but we sure d...

Yeah, that's the way I like it. Just like Game 7 in the Capitals series, the Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period. That's good enough to grab another drink, kick back and relax while cheering every check, shift and shot by the Pens. Unfortunately, the Pens didn't rout the Hurricanes like they did the Caps. It would have been fun, but it wasn't necessary, either. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury overshadowed Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the Staal brothers with a strong 25-save performance. This could be a sign that Fleury is getting hot at the right time. A hot goaltender can carry a team. And not to get too far ahead of things, but if you look down the road, a potential matchup against the Red Wings looms. Fleury could be the difference if he's in the zone. But let's get back to Monday night. Malkin had a goal and an assist, Crosby didn't score (!) but he did have an assist, and the Hurricanes were stuffed on offense. The only problem is we'...