Sidney Crosby has played in just two of the Penguins' first 14 games this season. And even if he isn't lighting up the stat sheet, he certainly made his presence known on Sunday.

In the Penguins' 6-1 loss to the Capitals, Crosby struggled mightily. He recorded one shot on goal in just under 17 minutes of ice time, and let his frustration boil over in the third period.
After taking his lone shot on goal less than three minutes into the third period with Washington's Martin Fehervary playing defense, the two skated behind the net where Crosby threw the young defenseman face-first into the boards.
Crosby wasn't penalized on that play but did get sent to the box for cross-checking Evgeny Kuznetzov around seven minutes later. Tom Wilson scored on the ensuing power play to make it 6-1.
After the game, the 22-year-old Fehervary didn't seem to pay much mind to Crosby's actions and didn't really have much to say on the matter.

"Yeah, I don't know. I don't even know what should I talk about it," he told reporters. "I don't care. We'll see next game."
Crosby has zero points, five shot attempts and has a plus/minus of -4 to kick start his 2021-22 campaign. The star center — who has already been named to Canada's Olympic squad — missed the first seven games of the season while recovering from offseason surgery on his left wrist. He returned Oct. 30 vs. the Devils before having to enter COVID-19 protocols on Nov. 3. Sunday's game was his first time slotting in.

The Penguins and Capitals have had some notorious and infamous battles in recent years and will next face off on Dec. 10 in Washington.

It might not erase memories of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, but it could kickstart a sputtering start to the season.

The Atlanta Hawks snapped a six-game losing streak in emphatic style, blowing out the Milwaukee Bucks 120-100 at State Farm Arena.

The win was a continuation of a gauntlet schedule for the Hawks, with Trae Young exploding for a season-high 42 points to end the skid.

"He came out very aggressive. He felt the rhythm and stayed with it," head coach Nate McMillan said. "I thought he established a tempo on both ends of the floor. I loved the pace that we played with tonight."

The win over Milwaukee ends a stretch of games that has seen the Hawks face Brooklyn, Utah, Phoenix, Golden State, Utah again and then Denver in succession.

Forget the fact that those squads are all hoping to contend for a title, the Hawks are also battling their own expectations after a spectacular run to the Conference Finals.

"That's something that these guys are going through for the first time. Being a team that other opponents respect," McMillan said.

"We played some really good teams to start this season off. I thought last year we played good basketball and I don't think people were writing us off but this year they are coming in ready to play. This is something we are going through for the first time and guys are learning what it's like when expectations are higher."

"It's very similar to postseason play. You can tell them how physical it's going to be but until you go through it and experience it they really won't know."

The win improves Atlanta to 5-9 on the season, with the next four games all at home.

More than anything, Atlanta fans will be pleased to see the return of Young at his best, with the explosive scorer pouring in seven first-half triples on his way to 27 points through two quarters. He finished the night 8-for-13 from long range, with the eight makes his most in a game since January.

Prior to tonight, Young was just 34.4 percent from long range, with his ten assists giving him his sixth double-double of the season.

The Hawks offense found it's mojo against Milwaukee, with John Collins once again becoming an above-the-rim threat in pick-and-roll situations with Young.

Collins finished with 19 points and six rebounds, while also drawing two offensive fouls on Giannis Antetokounmpo.

It's only one win, and it came against an injury hit Bucks team at the end of a five-game road trip, but for the first time in a while the Hawks looked like last year's version.