The title of this is surely going to scare some readers away, but I'm too proud to make it catchy and I like to think I'm rewarding a hockey non-fan who decides to keep reading with something that's slightly interesting. I'm not a sell-out. As for the hockey fans who only read this because there's hockeyesque in the title, I'm flattered you're even toying with the idea I might be able to contribute something meaningful to the grand pool of hockey knowledge on the interweb (of which most is less interesting and far less useful than a pool of liquid shit).
Sidney Crosby.
Yes, Sidney Crosby.
He of World Junior gold, NHL captaincy, Stanley Cup fame, Olympic gold, and what no one wants to talk about: he of "If I play at least 70 games, I'll score 100 points. Seriously, look at my stats."
He of two concussions in a week, he of ten months on injured reserve, and last but not least, he of seemingly perfect health on Monday November 21st, 2011.
Let me tell you one thing, the hype is real. Sid the Kid might just be the best player of all time. Not if he retired today, but simply if he keeps any semblance of the numbers he's put up since he came to the league. He shoots as well as anybody, literally. Fantastic vision. He might be the best player anyone's ever seen along the boards. Soft hands. Leadership (yah yah, shoot me, he's a leader). Faceoffs, shootouts, penalty minutes, shots; name it, he owns it.
Again, the hype is real. And not only is it real, it's merited. Not one of the reports, newspapers, magazines, or any of the millions of online posts could overstate how important it was that Sidney Crosby get back to playing as soon as possible. So then why is his return to the game NOT the most important part of him returning to the game? It's simple.
Concussions.
Is it any wonder Crosby had four points in his first game in ten months? If it is, stop it. Is it any wonder that before five minutes were played, you could see him streaking up center-ice, taking a deft pass in full stride, cutting to the right circle holding off an opponent, and mercilessly roofing it for a how-she-doin' top cheeser? If it is, stop it. And I'll tell you why it's no wonder. The Pittsburgh Penguins have the best medical staff in the NHL. Or if they don't, they're the first organization to show that the NHL is the most forward thinking league in pro sports.
It wasn't long ago all head trauma in a sporting context was ubiquitously called "getting your bell rung," or "seeing stars", both of which implied that, given enough time and some water, the bell would stop ringing, and the stars would stop shining. Progress was made, but players were still being unceremoniously chucked back into games when they shouldn't have been. And the worst part? Most of them wanted to keep playing. Whether it was an oppressive machoism-dominated culture, the need for a paycheck, or just a burning desire not to stop, something pushed athletes in way too soon. The best review of this issue, also maybe being the single piece of literature that signifies a shift in how athletics view concussions, was written by Malcolm Gladwell (Blink, Tipping Point, Outliers) for the New Yorker. It's long but well worth the read:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/10/19/091019fa_fact_gladwell
This is why the Pittsburgh Penguins are different. Sure it was partially motivated by Sid (maybe) being the greatest hockey player of all time, but it doesn't matter. They still needed to be absolutely safe. And not safe in the "oh let's wait a couple more weeks" kind of way, but safe to the point of almost overdoing. For the first time in the history of sport, there was no compeititive pressure, macho pressure, management pressure, or even coaching pressure (well, maybe there was, but if so, it didn't work!). Sid was cleared for full contact at practice a MONTH before he started playing again. Sid fielded questions whenever they were volleyed at him. Sid sought out contact at practice to MAKE SURE he was okay. Sid returned home on road trips to be more closely monitored by doctors. Caution isn't even the word....
Granted, the Penguins didn't need to rush him back; they sat in first place for most of this season. But the posterboy of the NHL only came back when he was READY. And is there any doubt anymore that he was, in fact, ready? Four points monday night against the Islanders, three points friday night against the Sens. On a team where no one really plays more than 20 minutes, Sid's averaging about 17. All this to say that if you yanked someone out from under the darkest, deepest rock and FORCED them to love the NHL, they would have absolutely no idea Crosby suffered from head trauma for ten months.
So why are the Penguins the greatest team in the NHL today? Is it because they dominated the league without Crosby, Malkin, or Staal the first couple of weeks? Mmmm, maybe. Is it because they draft, develop, and trade so perfectly they're always Stanley cup contenders despite their best two players being in and out of the game for the last 18 months? Mmmmmm, closer. Or is it because for the first time an organization had the resources to properly treat a player with post-concussion syndrome and have him immediately produce to prove it?
Bingo
(keep in mind, "resources" here means a perfect storm of events converging to yield this particular result:
1. Crosby being the injured one, and not, say, Zach Bogosian (no offense).
2. The miles-deep talent of the Penguins allowing them to succeed without Crosby and thus reduce his pressure to return.
3. Some level-headed team doctors educating themselves on head trauma.
4. The deaths of Derek Boogaard, Rick Rypien and Wade Belak this year alerting fans that getting punched in the head may have deeper, unseen consequences (whether in fact this is true or not).
5. Timing: concussions have been put under the microscope in hockey and football since the Gladwell's article (above). Only now do we understand the dangers head trauma present.)
To keep it short: the Pittsburgh Penguins may be the first step towards a cure for the disease that is concussions in sport.
So why the title? Why Jordan Staal? Maybe I'd like to shed light on someone who deserves to be shed on... (ok, the flow of that sentence is a lot nicer than what the words actually mean) During a season so focused on Sidney Crosby it would cause some fans to ask "what's an Evgeni?", there's no hope in hell a third line center would get even a whiff of attention. Except, Jordan Staal isn't really a third line center. On a team the likes of the Penguins, this third liner is fifth in scoring, and second in ice time among forwards. What's more, in a league with sixty centers who play on higher lines than his (30 teams x (1 top line center + 1 2nd line center) = 60 centers in the top two lines), he is 18th among scoring in centers. Granted, much of this season has been played on higher lines with Crosby's injury, but now, this is their third center! When a player like Malkin gets overshadowed for the first twenty games by someone on injured reserve, what hope is there for Staal? Well, no one on the Penguins really gives a shit, and neither does he. He's a consummate professional, and he'll be the deciding factor if the Penguins bring home the cup this year. Don't believe me? Add to this list the fact he's among the top 3 in ice time among centers (right around 20 minutes), and that among those centers who actually contribute, he's second in shooting percentage (23.5). So I ask agian, no wait, I'm telling you this time.
Jordan Staal is the most underrated player in the NHL.
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