Crosby leaves a void

With Sidney Crosby out, Evgeni Malkin's firepower will have to hold the fort. AP

MAILBAG Michael Farber will periodically answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

With Sidney Crosby out six to eight weeks because of a high ankle sprain, let's consider the ramifications.

For the Penguins: Although missing their -- and arguably the NHL's -- best player is a significant blow, it has allowed Pittsburgh to move Evgeni Malkin to his natural position of center. If you watched Malkin and the Washington Capitals' Alexander Ovechkin engage in the most enthralling mano-a-mano exhibition of the season -- each had two goals and an assist in the Caps' 6-5 shootout victory Monday -- you know this is not exactly a bad thing.

As coach Michel Therrien noted, you don't replace Crosby, but you can tread water with what you have. Of more immediate concern is the goaltending. Although Dany Sabourin looked confident in shutting out Montreal last Saturday, he was lost against Washington before being yanked. Ty Conklin, who couldn't get into Edmonton's net in the 2006 Stanley Cup Final when Dwayne Roloson was hurt in Game 1, has been miraculous, but his streak seems like an aberration given the arc of his career. Conklin is the key. The Crosby-less Penguins could plunge in the tight Eastern Conference, but even missing a playoff berth would not be a stone-cold disaster for a franchise that is selling out and headed for a new arena.

For Crosby: The Art Ross and Hart Trophies are effectively out of reach. No worries. He is not a me-guy and should win a roomful of both before he is through. He is more interested in the Stanley Cup. And if he returns in mid-March, he will have time to hone his game should the resilient Penguins make the playoffs.

For the NHL: The league essentially built an outdoor game around snow squalls and Crosby. Certainly it would have made him the centerpiece of All-Star weekend in Atlanta. That is always the danger of building your marketing around one player, especially in a sport with so much attrition. Still, it isn't a bad risk for a league that can't burst free of its niche and needs a breakout star. NBC, the parish bulletin for the First Church of Crosby, already is scrambling. Instead of televising the Feb. 10 match between Crosby and the Flyers, the network will switch to Anaheim in Detroit, a better game in the first place.