On his first shift Tuesday, he skated right at Panthers defenseman Jason Demers along the boards, lowered his left shoulder and knocked Demers down. On his second shift, he initiated contact with Panthers center Jared McCann and won a puck battle.
"I think when you miss that much time, you just try to get involved early, whether it's taking a hit or giving a hit," Crosby said. "So excited to be back out there, and just trying to get involved right away."
He didn't seem tentative in 18:02 of ice time, and he can't afford to be tentative the way he plays, flying up the ice, buzzing in the corners, going to the net.
"I thought he had a real good start tonight," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "For me, he didn't miss a beat out there. He was winning faceoffs. He was battling down low. He brought a lot of speed to the game. He scored a big goal for us. So there's no reason [to think he can't return to the same level]. I think Sid's going to be fine."
The rest of the NHL got a head start on Crosby. Entering Tuesday, four players were tied for the League scoring lead with nine points. But now Crosby has one point and 75 games to catch up.
"It's a long season," Crosby said. "But I just …"
He paused.
"I'm happy to be back playing here," he continued. "It's my first game, and hopefully can play the rest of the season here."