Crosby okay after puck in nose
UNIONDALE, N.Y.— The Pittsburgh Penguins’ hopes of finishing first in the East suffered a setback with Thursday night’s 5-3 loss to the Islanders, but they dodged a bullet.
Captain Sidney Crosby, in the ninth game of his second comeback of the season from concussion symptoms, took a puck in the nose and was dripping blood as he left the ice early in the second period. Fortunately for the Pens, Crosby returned later in the period — without stitches.
“We didn’t do a lot of good things and we paid for it again,” said Crosby, hit by a clearing attempt from Islander Dylan Reese. “We made some mistakes and they capitalized on it.”
Since a 13-0-1 spurt to close in on the East-leading Rangers, the Penguins are 1-3.