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Sidney Crosby Addresses Penguins' Outlook After IR News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Feb 26, 2026 10:56 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Penguins will resume play on Thursday, entering the home stretch of the NHL season sitting second in the Metropolitan Division with a 29-15-12 record and in position for a return to the playoffs.

Hours after the franchise confirmed Sidney Crosby would miss the next four weeks with a lower-body injury, the captain met with reporters at UPMC Lemieux Complex on Wednesday.

The Penguins placed Crosby on injured reserve and announced he is expected to miss a month with an injury sustained while playing for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

With 16 games in the Penguins' schedule spanning the next four weeks, Pittsburgh will need to navigate a demanding stretch without its captain and leading scorer, with Crosby having 59 points in 56 games.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) warms up before a game.David Gonzales-Imagn Images

The Penguins have not made the playoffs since 2022 and hold a three-point cushion over the fourth team in the Metropolitan Division. Dropping beyond third would place Pittsburgh in the wild-card race.

“I’m confident,” Crosby said about the Penguins' chances of holding onto a playoff spot. “I think we’ve shown all year — we’ve had injuries, and guys have stepped up to get us to where we’re at. I think it’s because of our team play.

“I don’t think it’s been any one person. I think collectively as a group, we found different ways to win, and different guys have stepped up. So as long as we continue that and understand that, then I think we give ourselves a good chance. But it’s going to be an important stretch here for the next little bit.”

It's THE story today. Yet Sidney Crosby was shockingly upbeat. Video and full story:

Crosby Talks Injury, Playoffs, and What he Thought of ‘The Hit’ https://t.co/zkzMp0jXic
— Dan Kingerski (@TheDanKingerski) February 25, 2026

Despite Crosby's four-week return timeline, the Penguins and Team Canada captain said he nearly returned for the gold-medal game.

“I was a lot closer than I thought a day or two after [the quarterfinal],” Crosby said. “Didn’t think it was necessarily going to be an option. So the fact that I even had a chance, or close to it, the staff there was unbelievable.”

Crosby, however, stopped short of revealing specifics about the injury, simply saying, “I probably could, but probably won’t.”

Pittsburgh hosts the New Jersey Devils in its first game since the Olympic break, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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