Crosby hungry for NHL action -- and solid food

When Sidney Crosby first returned from his concussion issues last season, he said one of the things he was concerned about was the 10 pounds he put on while unable to do much in the way of exercise.

Now he's got the opposite problem.

NHL INSIDER

What to watch in the final quarter

By Dan Rosen - NHL.com Senior Writer
The final quarter is here, so NHL.com identifies the key people who will shape the final weeks of the NHL regular season. READ MORE ›

• Leafs' patience with Kadri paying off in strong play
• Rediscovering old style spurs Blues' winning streak
• Bruins getting used to skating with legendary Jagr

MORE NHL INSIDER STORIES ›

Crosby spoke with reporters Monday while recovering from a broken jaw sustained during a game against the New York Islanders on March 30. He said while his mouth is healing, he's still restricted to a liquid diet, making it difficult for him to maintain the 200 pounds he's listed at.

"It's been shakes," he said. "Hasn't been too enjoyable that way. Maybe next week I'll be able to [eat solid food]. Milkshakes early on, but trying to keep it a bit more healthy now. It's pretty much impossible to keep weight on right now. I'll be excited when I can eat, for sure."

Crosby said he isn't sure exactly how many teeth he lost, because some previously damaged teeth were broken again when a shot by teammate Brooks Orpik hit him in the face.

Crosby said he never had a chance to protect his face because he never saw the puck that hit him.

"I didn't see it at all," he said. "Felt it, but didn't see it. Kind of a weird bounce. Just one of those things that happened."

He did say he's beginning to feel better.

"Having gone a week or however long it's been, it's gotten better," he said. "Feels a lot better than I did after the first couple days."

Despite missing more than a week of action, Crosby still leads the League scoring race with 56 points, seven more than second-place Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning. When he's able to return to add to his scoring total remains unknown.

"I'm going to see the doctor this week and probably continue to keep seeing him," Crosby said. "When he feels comfortable kind of that everything has set it and feels like I can go out there and skate and exert, that's something I'll just wait to hear from him."