Team Canada’s comeback had a turning point: Sidney Crosby’s intermission message stood out
Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Team Canada's victory did have a bit of a motivating factor as Sidney Crosby's injury seemed to spark the Canadians to victory and his message to them was the key.
Sidney Crosby's injury during the quarterfinal game between Team Canada and Team Czechia was something that made the entire nation hold their breath. After leaving to the locker room, he did not return and it seemed like things took a turn for the worse.
After Czechia stunned to make it 3-2, a Nick Suzuki tip with just over three minutes left tied things up. It led to a 3-on-3 OT where Mitch Marner of all people was the hero, sending Canada off to the semifinals.
Crosby's intermission message the motivation behind Canada's win
But it was Crosby's injury that seemed to keep people antsy, though for Team Canada's captain, he wanted to make sure to let the boys know that things are gonna be just fine without him.
At intermission, Crosby was reported to have given a bit of a rallying speech for his teammates and knew that they had the ability to pull out the win regardless of him playing or not:
Go get it, boys.
Leave it to Crosby to say something so simple yet sound so cool. You can just envision the boys rallying around him and he looks up to say 'It's your time now.'
It feels like a story in many aspects, though hopefully this one ends with a happy ending for both Team Canada and for Crosby.
Team Canada made sure Crosby's Olympics don't end prematurely
Head coach Jon Cooper also revealed that the team doesn't want to let their captain down and in the wake of what could potentially be his last Olympic Games -- wanted to do it for Sid the Kid:
We didn't want this to be Sid's last game of this Olympics.
There is no official update on the status of Crosby or the extent of his injury, though it definitely didn't look good upon first glance, as his leg seemed to have bucked underneath him after getting crunched by Czechia's Radko Gudas:
The entire game seemed to be steeped in controversy, as not only did Crosby leave the game but the Czechia side also may have gotten away with a too many men penalty which eventually led to their third goal of the game.
Hopefully for Canada and for Crosby, the worst-case scenario is avoided and he can find his way back onto the ice in time for the Finals, though don't expect anything until we have a much clearer idea of what he's dealing with.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Brad Marchand sat out two Team Canada games, and we now know why
Brad Marchand sat out two Team Canada games, and we now know why
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 18|1193 ANSWERS Team Canada’s comeback had a turning point: Sidney Crosby’s intermission message stood out Do you think Sidney Crosby's injury will keep him out of the Olympics? | ||
| Yes | 628 | 52.6 % |
| No | 565 | 47.4 % |
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