"Sidney Crosby has heard the speculation.

Couldn't have missed it if he had tried, really.

That's because for the past few weeks, it has seemed as if every Penguins partisan with vocal cords and/or a keyboard -- for that matter, almost everyone with even a passing interest in the NHL -- has been pointing to a game Friday night against the Dallas Stars at Consol Energy Center as the likely time for Crosby to return from the concussion that has prevented him from playing since Jan. 5.

And truth be told, that date makes sense, at least on some levels."