Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was ruled out of Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals with a lower-body injury, leaving the 38-year-old unavailable as the team entered its final weekend of the regular season. He was listed as day to day, and the Penguins also said Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Ben Kindel, Erik Karlsson, Kris Letang and Parker Wotherspoon would not play.
Coach Dan Muse said the team would get through Saturday’s game and make decisions for Sunday after talking with the medical staff. He said the players had been doing everything they could for the team, but added that they were banged up and that the club would continue to evaluate them as it moved toward its final two regular-season games. The Penguins recalled Rutger McGroarty, Joona Koppanen and Ville Koivunen from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton under emergency conditions, while Connor Dewar also sat out with a lower-body injury and was week to week.
The absences came after Pittsburgh had already clinched second place in the Metropolitan Division and home ice in the Eastern Conference First Round, so the standings were no longer in doubt. What remained unsettled was how much of the roster would be available before the playoffs begin April 18, especially with the Penguins carrying a 41-22-16 record and managing injuries across both forwards and defensemen at once. Their status for Sunday’s game at Washington had not been determined.
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The team’s willingness to rest key players now says more about the toll of the season than the race on the ice. With Sidney Crosby, Malkin and Letang all in question at the same time, Pittsburgh is trying to protect a battered lineup without losing the rhythm it will need when the postseason starts.
