Would Penguins' Have a Chance to Advance Sans Crosby?

That was just one of many thumps Sid received last night, as the Rangers were throwing everything but the kitchen sink at him. In the video, you can see Crosby get violently whacked by Trouba's left elbow. Two shifts later, Sid made his way to the dressing room, not to be seen on the ice for the remainder of the night. 

I had a feeling that in their desperation, the Rangers were going to try to get an upper hand any way they could. I am not saying Trouba intentionally hit Crosby up high, but the Rangers seemed like they had an objective after quickly trailing 2-0 early in the second period.

Until official reports come out, all we can do is speculate on just what exactly happened to Sid, and to what extent. So right now I'll keep the speculation to a minimum, but still run through a couple of possible scenarios moving forward:

Let's start with the worst-case scenario in that Sid suffered another concussion after the hit from Trouba. I'm no doctor, but based on Sid's history we may not see him back for the rest of the playoffs if that's the case. Obviously, this isn't what anyone wants to hear and we are all hoping for much better news, but if Sid is out for the rest of the playoffs, could the Pens still make a push?

Well there is some good news on the horizon, because Rickard Rakell practiced yesterday for the second day in a row, and without a no-contact jersey to boot. Having him back in the lineup come game five could bring a much-needed boost to this team if Crosby is off the ice. Also, Tristan Jarry has been making progress every day, which might actually bring some mixed emotions based on last year's playoffs. In my opinion, as soon as Jarry is ready to go, we will see him between the posts. 

I mentioned before that this could have been Jarry's redemption tour after last year, and this could prove he's worth keeping around for at least a few more. I love that Louis Domingue was able to step up and provide some solid displays in the net, but Jarry is the starter. If he's healthy, he's between the pipes. 

Now let's check out what also could be the case for Sid after last night. Sid was taking hit after hit, mainly to the face, but he was bombarded every time he got on the ice. The hit he took didn't seem horrible, yes it was up high, and yes there could have been a call, but there wasn't a ton of concern following the hit. In my opinion, head coach Mike Sullivan was probably concerned for Sid and wanted to keep him healthy for game five. Being up 3-1 in the series gives the squad some wiggle room, and being up 2-0 in the game probably made the decision easier for Sully. Obviously without Sid on the ice the lines looked disheveled and the onslaught for the Rangers began, finding the twine three times in under three minutes. However, given the situation at the time, if Sid was in pain or felt banged up in the slightest, I would imagine that Sully would make the executive decision to keep him off the ice.

Again, this is all speculation, but in my opinion, Sid will be dressed and ready to go for game six. At least, I hope.