Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby. Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Penguins' Sidney Crosby appears to be back in top form despite loss to Hurricanes

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Mar 18, 2026 11:31 PM ET

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby didn't look rusty in his return to the ice on Wednesday night.

Crosby suffered a right knee injury in Team Canada's 4-3 overtime win over Team Czechia at the quarterfinals of the Milan Cortina Olympics on Feb. 18. The injury wasn't as severe as it initially appeared.

The injury still sidelined Crosby for the rest of the Olympics and 11 Penguins games. The 38-year-old center played on Wednesday night in a road game against the Carolina Hurricanes, in which he showed why the Canadians would've had a much better chance of winning the gold medal had he remained healthy.

Sidney Crosby looks like old self against Hurricanes

Crosby scored his first goal in an NHL game since Jan. 22, 9:57 into the second period of Wednesday's matchup at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. The goal tied the contest 1-1.

SIDNEY CROSBY IS SO BACK ️️️ pic.twitter.com/avsUhinknd
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 19, 2026

He also engaged with fans. Sportsnet cameras spotted him chatting with a Hurricanes supporter while in the penalty box. Clearly, he has missed exchanging pleasantries with spectators.

Sidney Crosby letting this Canes fan hear it after going on the power play pic.twitter.com/2wZBJTzgs0
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 19, 2026

Despite Crosby's return, the Penguins lost to the Hurricanes 6-5 in overtime when Carolina defender Sean Walker scored with 28.3 seconds left in overtime. The center finished with one goal and one assist. The Penguins are now 34-18-16 (84 points), while the Hurricanes have improved to 43-19-6 (92 points).

SEAN WALKER OT WINNER pic.twitter.com/wjbkQxCXdR
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 19, 2026

The Penguins, though, remain in playoff contention. Entering Wednesday night, they were second in the Metropolitan Division behind the Hurricanes and ahead of the New York Islanders (39-24-5, 83 points).

"You just see on a nightly basis the way we compete, the way we work, just coming back in games, a lot of different things," Crosby said before Wednesday's game. "So, just want to jump in there and contribute as best as I can."

Crosby, of course, did more than contribute on Wednesday night. He showed Pittsburgh that there should be no lingering concerns about his injury, meaning the future Hall of Famer may be ready to enter playoff mode as the Penguins gear up for a postseason push with 14 regular-season games remaining.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

More must-reads: