Sidney Crosby, if we’re to believe what we’re told, is on the mend.  Sid was scheduled to visit this week with Doctor Ted Carrick, who treated Crosby back in August.  The Penguins insist it’s the next step in the process, but almost everywhere you turn, there are questions, and worse, wild speculation.  One published report told of an alleged 45-minute meeting between several players where a “temporary captaincy” was said to have been discussed.  The sources for that story appear to be credible, although the Penguins, from top to bottom, deny that a meeting of this sort ever took place.  At practice last week in Miami, each and every player wore a makeshift “C” as a show of support for Sid, and to a man, there was denial of any such meeting to take the “C” from Crosby, even on a temporary basis.  In a sitdown interview for an “11 On The Ice” special scheduled to air Sunday, I asked Penguins Head Coach Dan Bylsma about the report of a meeting.  He was clear in his denial as well.  “I know the 45-minute meeting didn’t happen…the uncertainty of (Sid’s) injury and the length of (Sid’s) injury contribute to speculation.”  Bylsma acknowledges that the light shines brighter on Crosby because he’s the heart of the Penguins, and the best player in the world, but he also dismisses the raging rumors as just that, “95% of the things people speculate about “aren’t even close to being accurate.”  At this point, all we know for sure is that Crosby doesn’t appear to be close to returning to the lineup.  It could be a couple more weeks, or it could be a couple more months.  They’re prepared for the worst, but hoping for the best, and they have no choice but to move forward with the players they have.

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