Sidney Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins' high-scoring captain, was hit in the face by the puck Saturday when a teammate's shot was deflected. Crosby lost several teeth and needed oral surgery.
Crosby, who was a few feet to the right of the goal, couldn't react fast enough when Brooks Oprik's hard slap shot from above the slot was redirected by an Islander in the first period of a 2-0 victory over visiting New York.
Crosby, who has struggled with concussion problems the last two seasons, is leading the NHL with 56 points, 10 more than Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos. Crosby has 15 goals and a league-leading 41 assists.
[Update, 12:15 p.m.: The Penguins announced on their website Sunday that Crosby is out indefinitely with a broken jaw. He will require more surgery to his face later in the week, when the team said it will have further updates.]
Crosby played only 22 games last season as concussion symptoms lingered after he missed 41 games the previous season.
“When you see the replay, he had no chance to move,” said teammate Jarome Iginla, who made his Penguins debut Saturday after Pittsburgh acquired him in a trade with the Calgary Flames. “He didn't see it hit him. It's a very, very unfortunate play.”
The Penguins have won 15 consecutive games, two short of the record the fanchise set in 1992-93 with Mario Lemieux leading the way.
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