"He’s definitely sour at the direction of the Penguins:" Analyst dishes on Sidney Crosby’s future in Pittsburgh 

By Arnab Mondal

Modified Mar 23, 2024 04:38 GMT

Amid speculation surrounding Sidney Crosby's future with the Pittsburgh Penguins, analyst Darren Dreger shared his insights on the matter. Dreger expressed anticipation for Crosby's end-of-year media appearance, suggesting it could shed light on his intentions. He speculated that Crosby might say to defer his decision:

"My guess is here's what he's going to say, 'I need a few weeks to just back away. Decompress and speak with my friends and my family and make a call at this point right now. I'm exhausted. I'm too emotionally invested to make that decision.'"

Dreger also hinted at the potential repercussions of Crosby's decision, particularly regarding the Penguins' future and the broader hockey community's attention. He said:

"If he does that, boys, we're going to have a hell of a July 1st. Free agent frenzy is going to be buzzing. You know, Crosby has another year left, but I mean, imagine if a player of that magnitude were to consider, you know, chasing the cup and feeling jilted."

Despite Sidney Crosby's remarkable performances this season, leading the Penguins with 33 goals and 36 assists totaling 69 points in 69 games played, his game against the Dallas Stars ended without any points. The club faced a 4-2 loss on the night as well. Their poor performance is evidenced by a 3-6-1 record in their past 10 games.

Dreger highlighted Crosby's potential dissatisfaction with the team's direction, suggesting challenges for Penguins' General Manager Kyle Dubas:

"And I think he does. Yeah, he's definitely sour at the direction of the Penguins for a lot of reasons that are going to be tough on Kyle Dubas."

As Sidney Crosby navigates his decision-making process, all eyes remain on Pittsburgh.

Stars outshine Penguins as Sidney Crosby's future in Pittsburgh remains uncertain

Dallas gained momentum in the second period when Jamie Benn capitalized on the power play at 5:52, giving his team a 2-1 lead. Just over a minute later at 7:09, Benn struck again, extending the lead to 3-1 with a shot that deflected off the inside pad of Penguins' goalie Tristan Jarry.

Despite efforts from Pittsburgh's Michael Bunting, who scored at 2:45 in the first period, and Evgeni Malkin, who provided two assists, the Penguins couldn't match the Stars' offensive prowess. Joe Pavelski's goal at 7:16 in the first period tied the game briefly at 1-1.

In the third period, Dallas further solidified their lead when Sam Steel scored at 4:37, making it 4-1. Although Rickard Rakell narrowed the gap with a goal at 11:03, assisted by Malkin, for a final 4-2 score.

With Jake Oettinger making 20 saves for Dallas and Jarry allowing four goals on 20 shots for Pittsburgh before being replaced, the Stars maintained their strong form with three consecutive wins and eight victories in their last 10 games.