Comeback of NHL's Crosby the hallmark of a great player

Sidney Crosby displayed all the elements of his game upon his return from 10-1/2 months from concussion symptons, showing that one of the NHL's true stars is truly back.

Sidney Crosby's return to the ice, after missing 10-and-a-half months with concussion symptoms, showed the Pittsburgh Penguins' star was missing none of his skill set.

Calling it a return for the ages might not be doing it justice.

Sidney Crosby's comeback performance - a two-goal, four-point virtuoso effort at the expense of the New York Islanders on Monday - was almost worth the 10-and-a-half-month wait.

That was how long the Pittsburgh Penguins' captain languished on the sidelines with concussion symptoms after taking two big bumps in back-to-back games last January.

Fortunately, it only took Crosby until his second shift back to find his superstar form, as he picked up the puck at centre ice, blazed around a surprised Isles defender and slammed a backhander into the net.

Crosby's celebration was reminiscent of one of his other most memorable goals, the overtime score in the 2010 Olympics that gave Canada the gold medal.

Both times, Crosby skated to the corner after scoring, his face contorted in joyful excitementand with his arms held out and his palms up in a "Well, what did you think I was going to do?" manner as his teammates streamed over.

In other words, it was vintage Crosby, and he needed just five minutes and 24 seconds to deliver another unforgettable memory.

It was too much to hope for Crosby to come through in such a thrilling fashion, given the long lay-off, the rust, the hype and the pressure.

Then again, perhaps we should not have expected anything less from one of the game's true greats.