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pittsburghpenguins.com

Pittsburgh Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby returned to the ice today for the first time since sustaining a major concussion in early January. Crosby skated for about fifteen minutes, participating mainly in light skating drills. The appearance has Penguins' fans rejoicing, but they should temper their expectations.

Crosby was able to exercise only because he had gone a few days without any concussion symptoms, meaning that over the course of the last two months he has been plagued with headaches. While Crosby said afterwards that he felt good during the skating session, another one of his comments should concern Penguins' fans.

The captain was quoted as saying, “Typical every day things have gotten a lot better.” While this indicates improvement, it also sends shivers down the guru's spine. Crosby indirectly admitted that he has struggled with common tasks, a symptom that infers his brain has taken heavy damage. Unconfirmed reports stated that Crosby was unable to drive a full month after sustaining the concussion.

Recently, the guru wrote a research paper examining sports concussions. While he is by no means an expert on the subject, he received great insight on the matter. The fact that Crosby struggled with such simple tasks is a cause for concern.

Hockey is an incredibly fast-moving sport that requires players to make decisions instantaneously. Crosby excelled at making correct reads faster than everyone else on the ice, which translated into his tremendous success. After sustaining such significant brain damage, it is not unfair to assume that his decision-making process will slow down, taking away his greatest strength.

Without the ability to think faster than everyone around him, Crosby will return to the pack in terms of talent. After a season in which he dominated the NHL, it is a tragedy that we may never see Crosby play at his full potential ever again. Everyone here at the Fantasy Guru 37 Studio wishes Sidney Crosby a safe recovery back to his previous form, however we are all skeptical that he will ever produce near the pace he did this season.