Penguins forward Sidney Crosby expected to be 'game-time decision' against Capitals
Fresh off of helping Canada win the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-off tournament on Thursday, forward Sidney Crosby is expected to be a game-time decision for the Penguins’ home contest against the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
Coach Mike Sullivan — who guided the United States in the tournament — announced Crosby’s status after practice in Cranberry on Friday.
Crosby and Sullivan — along with a handful of Penguins staffers — flew from Boston to Pittsburgh on Friday morning.
“Sid and I talked briefly coming back here this morning,” Sullivan said. “Right now, we’ll probably make him a game-time decision. He was obviously excused from practice today but he’s feeling good.”
Crosby entered the tournament having missed the Penguins’ two most recent games — a 3-2 road win against the New York Rangers on Feb. 7 and a 3-2 road loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Feb. 8 — due to a suspected left arm injury he suffered during a 3-2 shootout loss to the Devils on Feb. 4.
Sullivan suggested Crosby’s ailment progressed in the right direction during a tournament in which he posted five points (one goal, four assists) in four games.
Crosby did not participate in Friday’s practice session as planned.
Notes:
• Forward Boko Imama skated before the practice session. He has missed one game due to an undisclosed injury he suffered Feb. 7 and remains “day to day.”
• Defenseman Erik Karlsson and forward Rickard Rakell each participated in Friday’s practice session. Both players skated for Sweden in the tournament and were excused from sessions Tuesday and Wednesday after being eliminated from the tournament.
• The team’s lines and pairings were:
67 Rickard Rakell - 71 Evgeni Malkin - 17 Bryan Rust
72 Anthony Beauvillier - 13 Kevin Hayes - 53 Philip Tomasino
8 Michael Bunting - 19 Cody Glass - 52 Emil Bemstrom
43 Danton Heinen - 53 Blake Lizotte - 55 Noel Acciari
73 P.O Joseph - 58 Kris Letang
24 Matt Grzelcyk - 65 Erik Karlsson
27 Ryan Graves - 7 Vincent Desharnais
5 Ryan Shea - 23 Vladislav Kolyachonok
• The top power-play unit included Bunting, Karlsson, Malkin, Rakell and Rust. The second unit involved Grzelcyk, Hayes, Heinen, Letang and Tomasino.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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