Crosby, Reirden return quickly
Sidney Crosby’s stint on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list was a brief one.
The Penguins captain was activated just hours before Thursday’s matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers. Likewise, assistant coach Todd Reirden completed his COVID protocol and was cleared to resume his duties behind the bench.
Both the coach and captain entered the protocol on Tuesday and missed the 5-2 win over the Flyers that evening. They were absent again at practice on Wednesday.
Coach Mike Sullivan hinted from the beginning that the stints in the protocol might be brief, issuing a reminder that just because someone is in the protocol, it does not mean he has tested positive. High-risk close contacts, a positive test that remains unconfirmed or travel are other reasons a player could be in the protocol.
Jankowski back
While Crosby was the most noteworthy center back in action, the Penguins also added reinforcements up the middle on the back half of their roster.
Fourth-line center Mark Jankowski also returned to the lineup to skate between Sam Lafferty and Anthony Angello. It marked his first game action since the Feb. 25 game against the Capitals when he absorbed a high, hard hit from Tom Wilson.
Jankowski, who signed a one-year, $700,000 deal this offseason, came out of the gate strong during his first season in Pittsburgh. He tallied three points in the first two games, while centering the third line.
However, recently he’s slid down to the fourth line and has seen his minutes reduced slightly. Entering Thursday’s game, he was still looking for his first points since that hot start. Sullivan acknowledged that Jankowski has weathered some “inconsistency.”
“We’re just trying to help Mark to establish more consistency with the impact he’s having on the game,” Sullivan said. “He’s part of our penalty kill. He can have a positive impact there. He’s part of our bottom six that can bring some energy, some momentum, be good on the forecheck, be hard to play against, be good defensively. And then have the ability to chip in offensively for us.”
Injury updates
Defenseman Brian Dumoulin and versatile forward Evan Rodrigues participated in the Penguins’ optional morning skate on Thursday. It was their second consecutive day participating with the main group. They were both participants in a fullcontact capacity on Wednesday.
Neither player is quite ready to return. They remain on long-term injured reserve.
‘No friends on the ice’
Penguins new defenseman Mark Friedman is wellaware of the in-state rivalry, just from the other perspective.
When the Flyers tried to pass Friedman through to the taxi squad on waivers, new Penguins general manager Ron Hextall claimed a player whom he knows well from their time together in Philadelphia.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pound defenseman made his first appearance in a Penguins uniform against his former club on Tuesday. He took pride in chirping an old teammate into a penalty.
“It’s good to be on this side of the rivalry instead of the other,” Friedman said. “Guys last night were saying, no friends on the ice. That’s definitely how I play. I don’t have any friends.”
Friedman earned a jersey for the second consecutive game on Thursday night. He once again skated on the third pair alongside Cody Ceci.
The Penguins believe Friedman can add depth to their defensive corps and play their style of hockey, with speed at the center of his game.
“First, I think my biggest strength is my skating ability to get up and down the ice,“Friedman said. ”I’m a feisty guy. I’m not the biggest, but I like to mix it up a little bit. Not necessarily fight, but I’ll give it 110% whenever I get out there. Whatever it takes. Block a shot. Take a hit to make a play.”