Vancouver Canucks center Manny Malhotra (27) skates during third period during pre-season NHL hockey action against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan HaywardJonathan Hayward/The Canadian Press
While publications and video games are predicting a Stanley Cup championship for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, a title will only come to the Steel City if superstar Sidney Crosby is able to return to the lineup and regain his superior form. The captain will begin 2011-12 on injured reserve as Pittsburgh begins the campaign on the road Thursday against the reigning Western Conference champion Vancouver Canucks. Sports Illustrated picked the Penguins to win it all this season and EA Sports' "NHL 12" video game had Pittsburgh sweeping Chicago in the Finals during a simulation. But the Pens' real-life hopes are pinned on the health of Crosby, who has been out since Jan. 5 with a concussion. The Canucks had a brilliant 2010-11 campaign, winning the Presidents' Trophy and boasting the Art Ross Trophy winner for a second straight season, but came up one win short of their first Cup as they fell to Boston.
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ABOUT THE PENGUINS: Crosby is symptom-free and traveling with the team on its season-opening road trip through Western Canada, but the 24-year old has not yet been cleared for contact in practice. Evgeni Malkin is more than ready, however, as he registered three goals and seven points in four preseason games after having his 2010-11 campaign end in early February with a knee injury.
ABOUT THE CANUCKS: Ryan Kesler has made waves by posing nude for ESPN Magazine, but the club is more interested in his return to the ice. The Selke Trophy winner begins the season on the sidelines following offseason hip surgery. Twins Henrik and Daniel Sedin, who have claimed the last two regular-season scoring titles, will be counted on early with Kesler and Mason Raymond (fractured vertebrae) on the shelf.
OVERTIME:
1. The Penguins boast what arguably is the best trio of centers in the league in Crosby, Malkin and Jordan Staal. However, the threesome has been together in the lineup only seven times over Pittsburgh's last 96 games, including the playoffs, and just twice last season.
2. After leading the NHL with 262 goals in 2010-11, Vancouver scored only 17 times in eight preseason contests.
PREDICTION: Pittsburgh 5, Vancouver 3. Even without Crosby, the Penguins have enough firepower to make Roberto Luongo miserable. The absences of Kesler and Raymond will limit Vancouver's ability to generate scoring chances against Marc-Andre Fleury.