Daily Times (Primos, PA)

Pens’ Crosby returns to practice after concussion

- By Will Graves

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP >> Sidney Crosby returned to work Friday, practicing with his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates barely four days removed from a frightenin­g hit that left the him with a concussion, and his status for the rest of the playoffs uncertain.

While the two-time MVP declined to get into specifics whether he’ll be available for Game 5 at Washington on Saturday, he’s keeping his options open.

“We’ll see,” Crosby said. “I don’t want to rule it out. It’s not really up to me. You relay how you feel and they kind of direct you from there.”

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan is in no rush to make a decision on Crosby as the defending Stanley Cup champions try to close out the Capitals.

“We’ll see how he responds (to practicing) and go from there,” Sullivan said.

Still, the sight of Crosby on the ice and cleared for contact opens the possibilit­y of Crosby playing in the near future — startling considerin­g the way he left the ice in the first period of Game 3 on Monday after getting crosscheck­ed in the head by Washington’s Matt Niskanen. The hit left him with his second concussion of the season and at least the fourth of his career. He needed nearly two years to recover from one sustained in January 2011, and missed two weeks when he was diagnosed with a concussion last October.

There’s a chance the wait may be even shorter this time for Crosby, who led the league with 44 goals and has four goals and seven assists through eight playoff games. Crosby felt “as good as you could expect” Tuesday morning.

“I think having gone through this I’d like to think I’m pretty aware of my body at this point,” he said. “I understand the importance of making sure you’re good before you come back. I have a lot of belief in our staff here that they’re going to do everything in their power to make sure I’m good when I come back.”

Crosby had no issue with his run-in with Alex Ovechkin, calling it “standard” practice when you skate in front of the opponent’s net. He reserved judgment on Niskanen, a former teammate. Crosby said the collision isn’t “one that happens too often,” but later added “it’s really tough to gauge that one. Things happen fast out there.”

Trotz “wouldn’t be surprised” if he saw Crosby’s familiar No. 87 on Saturday.

“Sid is a very intelligen­t young man and he will make the right decision,” Trotz said.

Pittsburgh forward Conor Sheary, who also sustained a concussion in Game 3 after inadverten­tly getting checked by teammate Patric Hornqvist, also practiced in full gear Friday. Like Crosby, Sheary’s status is day to day.

 ?? KEITH SRAKOCIC — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, center, practices face-offs with Carter Rowney, right, Friday at the team practice facility in Butler County, Pa.
KEITH SRAKOCIC — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, center, practices face-offs with Carter Rowney, right, Friday at the team practice facility in Butler County, Pa.

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