Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, goaltender Tristan Jarry and forward Rikard Rakell all participated in an optional team practice on Saturday, but remain day-to-day ahead of Sunday's Game 7 against the New York Rangers, according to head coach Mike Sullivan.
"Sid, Rakell, and Jarry all skated this morning. Their status remains day-to-day. Brian Boyle is continuing to be evaluated. I don't have an update for you there. Brian Dumoulin continues to progress off the ice. His status has not changed," Sullivan said.
Crosby missed Pittsburgh's 5-3 Game 6 loss to New York on Friday, while Jarry has been out due to breaking his foot on April 14, and Rakell has been out since Game 1.
"We'll take each day as it comes. I'm not going to speculate at this point. They're obviously on the ice, that's encouraging. They're making progress," said Sullivan, who later added that everyone on the team would travel to New York for Game 7.
Penguins defenceman Brian Dumoulin, who has also been out since Game 1, is progressing off the ice. Brian Boyle was hurt early in Game 6 and is being evaluated.
Crosby left Game 5 on Wednesday during the second period after Rangers defenceman Jacob Trouba connected with him on a hard, high hit near the faceoff dot amid a scramble for the puck.
Crosby fell to the ice, rose to his skates, and immediately headed for the bench. The Penguins star went on to play two more shifts before leaving the game for good. The NHL did not discipline Trouba for the play.
While the Penguins have not offered anything specific on the injury, ESPN's Emily Kaplan has reported it is a concussion.
"He's in good spirits. He's in a good place. He's doing his very best to get himself back and ready as quickly as he can. We'll see how that process goes," said Sullivan.
Said Penguins forward Jeff Carter: "Sid's Sid. He's our leader on and off the ice, a calming presence in the room. We'll see what happens."
Through the first five games of the series, Crosby was playing some of his finest playoff hockey in years, leading the Penguins with nine points, scoring two goals and adding seven assists.
The potential of it being a head injury is especially worrisome given his history with concussions.
The two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner missed the second half of the 2010-11 season, and the majority of the following season, as he dealt with post-concussion issues.
For a time, during those turbulent years, there were concerns Crosby may never be able to make a full return to the game. He's since said that the work done by neurologists at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre and Ted Carrick, a Canadian chiropractic neurologist, with helping him get back to playing hockey.
"When you get a typical injury you're given a time frame, you're gradually working towards getting back," Crosby said in 2013 when discussing his struggles with head trauma. "With concussions there is not generally a time frame or a span where you're feeling better. You feel like you're getting better and it can be one day and you're back to where you started. It's a frustrating injury and one that anyone has gone through can relate. It's a hard one to understand unless you've gone through it."
The Penguins visit the Rangers in a do-or-die Game 7 Sunday night on Sportsnet and SN NOW. Game begins at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT.
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