Music: {allcanada} CROSBY: 'SYMPTOM-FREE. NO PROBLEMS.'

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

{allcanada} CROSBY: 'SYMPTOM-FREE. NO PROBLEMS.'

Sidney Crosby, 11 other Penguins and a few extras engaged in one of their impromptu scrimmages Tuesday morning at Southpointe.

"It's nice to get on the ice," the captain told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "It's been a lot of fun. I've been feeling good all summer … but now you kind of crave something else."

Lockout aside, Crosby is happy again.

Not happy. Beaming.

The past couple years for him, it wasn't just about the concussion and the neck. It was about the doubts, about picturing life without what he loves most.

And now?

"Symptom-free. No problems."

Another huge grin.

He has a stronger build than he's ever shown, and he's positively flying about the rink. Looks like he's right where you'd want him to be at 25, ready for the prime of an already brilliant career.

In other offseasons, he's focused on a specific area to master, such as faceoffs.

This time?

"Missing as much time as I did, I just want to get back to the speed and skill of the game. Obviously, that takes games to get back, but I've done a lot more game-type scenarios, quickness work, things to make the transition a little easier."

That's a very Sid way of saying he's in exemplary shape.