Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby skated with a few teammates during an optional practice Saturday after missing the club’s last game.
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Nothing says he will be on the ice at Madison Square Garden on Sunday in New York for the seventh and final game of this series, but we do know that he will travel minimally with the team.
“He’s in good spirits,” Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said on Saturday, quoted on the National Hockey League website. He’s doing his best to get back as soon as possible.”
Even before the Penguins’ optional training, Crosby skated alone for about twenty minutes.
“We’ll see how the process goes, but I think when he’s on the ice, it’s good for our team, it’s good for our players, it’s good for our morale,” Sullivan added. . It’s definitely an extra dose of energy for the guys.”
Hit in the head by New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba on Wednesday in Game 5 of the first-round series between the two teams, Crosby did not play Game 6. The Penguins lost both games and the series is now tied at 3-3.
Prior to being hit by Trouba, Crosby was on a stellar streak, having nine points in five games to lead the Penguins to a 3-1 lead. As for Trouba, he was never punished for his gesture.
Jarry or Domingo?
Among the other players injured at the Penguins, goaltender Tristan Jarry is also evaluated daily.
“I’m not going to speculate, Sullivan said, as to the identity of his goalkeeper for Game 7. He’s on the ice. At this point, it’s encouraging.”
Jarry has yet to play in a single playoff game against Rangers, having been battling a lower-body injury since mid-April. Quebecer Louis Domingue will have been the Penguins’ trusted goaltender after another injury suffered by Casey DeSmith in the first game of the series against the Rangers.
In the regular season, Jarry has been the Penguins’ leading goaltender this season, going 34-18-6 with a 2.42 goals-against average.
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