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Sidney Crosby Practices with Penguins Ahead of Game 7 vs. Rangers; Injury Status TBD

Paul KasabianFeatured Columnist IIMay 14, 2022

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 11: Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins plays with the puck during warm-ups prior to playing against the New York Rangers in Game Five of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 11, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Pittsburgh Penguins captain and center Sidney Crosby practiced with the team Saturday after missing part of Game 5 and all of Game 6 of his team's first-round playoff series against the New York Rangers, per The Athletic.

Per Rob Rossi of the Athletic, Crosby suffered a concussion in Game 5 following a hit from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba, who was not punished by the NHL's department of player safety.

The Pens and Blueshirts will play the series-deciding Game 7 on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET in New York's Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers trailed 2-0 in Game 5 when Crosby was injured. They've since outscored Pittsburgh 10-6 (5-3 wins in Games 5 and 6) to knot the series at three games apiece.

Crosby is a major loss. He had two goals and seven assists in four-plus games vs. New York. The three-time Stanley Cup winner and two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winners also excelled in the regular season with 31 goals and 53 assists. Naturally, Crosby's return to practice is a welcoming sign with the Penguins' season now on the line.

The Athletic also reported that starting goaltender Tristan Jarry is practicing fully with the team over four weeks after suffering a broken foot against the New York Islanders. He's reportedly been skating for almost a week and has been facing shots in practice over the past few days. Louie Domingue has started in net in his place.

Crosby and Jarry are considered day-to-day, per Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan (h/t Rossi).

The winner of the Penguins-Rangers matchup will face the victor of the Boston Bruins-Carolina Hurricanes series. Game 7 of that series will be played Saturday at 4:30 p.m.