CROSBY RETURNS AND GETS THE PENGUINS A 5-0 WIN

GOAL SCORERS

PIT:   S. Crosby (05:24 - 1st) , B. Orpik (16:29 - 1st) , E. Malkin (PPG, 03:17 - 2nd) , S. Sullivan (05:53 - 2nd) , S. Crosby (02:06 - 3rd)

GOALIES

NYI: A. Nilsson (L)

 PIT: M. Fleury (W)

                 Last night in Pittsburgh, it was the night that all hockey fans were waiting for: "The Return Of Sidney Crosby." The last time Crosby played a game was January 5th 2011 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Crosby would be diagnosed with a concussion after that game. So in 41 games (in the 2010-11 season), Crosby had 32 goals and 34 assist for a total of 66 points. When Crosby stepped out onto the ice on Monday night, the fans chanted Crosby and gave him a standing ovation. It didn't take long for Crosby to get back into game mode. Just 5:24 in, Crosby got the puck at centre and took the puck to the right side and went into the Islanders zone and backhanded the puck past Nilsson to get his first goal of the season to make it 1-0 Penguins.

             Then with under 4 minutes to play in the first, Dupuis dived to keep the puck in, so Crosby had the puck and played it to Orpik and he one-timed a shot into the back of the net to make it 2-0 Pittsburgh. Then 4 minutes into the second, Crosbys shot was blocked and went to Letang at the point and he fired one to the net, Malkin picked up the rebound and he barry it in front to make it 3-0 Penguins. 2 minutes later, Malkins shot was deflected in by Sullivan to make it 3-0 Penguins lead. Shortly after that, Tavares took a shot and that was stopped by Fleury. 2 minutes into the third, Crosbys backhander beat Nilsson again to make it 5-0 and that would be your final, as Crosby had 2 goals and 2 assist for a total of 4 points in his return.

            "As the game went on, I felt better and better," Crosby said. "On the goal, I just tried to get up in the play and Duper pushed the puck over and I was able to get some speed, able to get a good shot away." Crosby also spoke about the standing ovation he received in his return."That was a great moment and now, for me, I'll have a great memory of this one," said Crosby, who watched that game on TV. Fleury made 29 saves in the shutout win and spoke about Crosby after the game."The atmosphere was very electric," goalie Marc-Andre Fleury said. "It was just loud and fun. Sid had a goal early on, so you couldn't have written it any better."

Written By Andrew Di Pardo