It is the tale of two contrasting fortunes. While Alex Ovechkin led his team into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, his long-time rival, Sidney Crosby, couldn’t get through as his team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, finished second from the bottom in the Metropolitan Division. Ovechkin’s Capitals will begin their journey toward the Stanley Cup later today and will face the Canadiens in Round 1 of the playoffs. But even as Crosby missed out on the playoffs for a fourth straight year, it didn’t stop him from getting back onto the ice.
Now the Penguins suffered an unfortunate fate this season and had a long list of injuries. The likes of Kevin Hayes, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Kris Letang, and several other players were victims of injuries and will be away from the action for quite some time now. Amid this, Crosby has already started working for the next season and help these players get back fit in time.
Earlier today, he was seen working on the ice with his fellow injured teammates. Interestingly, the Penguins’ season ended just last week, and instead of taking a break, Crosby was spotted helping out his teammates, who were recovering from their injuries. In the clip that’s been doing the rounds on social media, Crosby is seen having an intense conversation with P.O Joseph. Looks like the preparations for the 2025-26 season have already begun in the Penguins’ camp, with no time wasted in moving past the disappointment of this season
You can’t keep Sid off the ice.
Crosby spotted on the ice working with some of the injured Pittsburgh players just days after the season ended. pic.twitter.com/3QdODKn4Hn
— Spittin’ Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) April 21, 2025
Although his team suffered many painful defeats, Crosby remained consistent. Over the course of this season, he scored 33 goals and 58 assists, accumulating an impressive 91 points, and even leading Canada to a 4 Nations title. Not to mention the fact that Ovechkin wasn’t the only one to break a Gretzky record – Sidney Crosby did too by finishing a 20th season averaging at least a point per game. Even as Crosby showed glimpses of his best on the ice, he expressed his disappointment about the Penguins’ disappointing season and missing out on a playoff spot.
Sidney Crosby makes an honest revelation after missing out on the playoffs
After winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017, the Penguins’ only appearance in the playoffs after that has been in 2018, where they lost in the second round. After 2018, they have never made it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs and endured another difficult season this time around. Reflecting on the 2024-25 season, Crosby got emotional about to being able to progress through.
During an interview, he revealed, “It’s difficult when you’re cleaning out your locker and stall and you’re just thinking [about] how fun it is to play in the playoffs. How important that is and how much work everyone puts into trying to make that happen. It’s not a fun feeling when other teams are playing and you’re going home.”
Further, he went on to add, “Missing the playoffs the last few years, I think there’s always going to be thoughts and opinions. We’ve got to prove it. I think that we’ve got to find a way to get back there. When you lose, you’re going to hear that. That’s part of it. But yeah, it’s up to us to find a way to get back there.”
Nonetheless, with Crosby already having begun the preparations for the next season, the Penguins fans can surely look forward to an improved show from the team. Can the Penguins bounce back and have a shot at the Stanley Cup next year? Let us know your views in the comments below.
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