What happened last night that you need to know about? Joe McDonald gives us his take on the biggest and best performances. This is where we say, "Morning, Joe."
Crosby sharp in return: The best player in the world was back on the ice for the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday night to lead them to a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers at PPG Paints Arena. After being sidelined with a concussion, Sidney Crosby scored a goal, had four shots and logged 18:02 of ice time as the Penguins rallied from a two-goal deficit to beat the Panthers. No. 87's return was a major boost for the Penguins, as you'd expect. Crosby, who helped the team win the 2016 Stanley Cup while earning himself the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, suffered a concussion during practice on Oct. 7 and was forced to miss the team's first six games. Crosby is no stranger to concussions: This was his third, and there was a time during the 2011-12 season that he didn't know if he would return. He's smart enough to know he can't dismiss a head injury, so when he suffered his latest, it made the entire hockey world wonder how long he would miss. It was a positive sign when he quickly returned to practice and said he was making progress. Then to see his production on Tuesday was a huge sigh of relief for the Penguins, their fans and the hockey world. Like him or not, Crosby is the best in the world -- and he's only 29. It would be a shame if he was stripped of his prime because of concussions, so here's hoping Crosby remains healthy until he decides to walk away from the game.
Matthews leading the way: Fans have to be excited about the progress of Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Auston Matthews. Despite a 7-3 loss Tuesday to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Matthews scored his sixth goal of the season and now has 10 points -- giving him the league lead. The 19-year-old forward is also tied with the Chicago Blackhawks' Richard Panik for the league lead in goals. Matthews is leading the Calder Trophy race over the Winnipeg Jets' Patrik Laine, who has four goals and two assists for six points in six games. There's no way Matthews can keep up this pace, right? He has the ability, skill and maturity to do so, but at some point he has to settle in and even off. He's proven to be able to sustain this type of success at every level. No doubt he'll experience the typical ebbs and flows of a rookie season, but in the early going he's showing no signs of getting to that point just yet. The Maple Leafs will become a winning team again and Matthews will be a major part of that success. Until then, enjoying watching him become one of the best in the game.
Stamkos lighting it up: At the start of the season, many experts picked the Lightning to win the Stanley Cup. So, it's no surprise the team has gone 5-1-0 for 10 points, only one behind the Montreal Canadiens (5-0-1) in the Atlantic Division. On Tuesday, Lightning captain Steven Stamkos had a monster night, scoring two goals and posting two assists for four points en route to a 7-3 win over the Maple Leafs. When the 26-year-old forward signed an eight-year contract in the offseason with the Lightning worth $68 million, it was a sign he believed in the organization and wanted to help it win a Stanley Cup. Even though he has security, he's not one of those players to relax and cruise through his career. It's obvious he wants to win -- and he deserves to win a championship. He's been nothing short of spectacular. He's a perfect fit in Tampa Bay and no doubt he will deliver on his promise to bring the Lightning a Stanley Cup on his watch. Only six games into the regular season and he has five goals and four assists for nine points. He was my pick to win the Hart Memorial Trophy this season as the league's MVP and he's showing signs of making me look like a genius for once.