PITTSBURGH — The Penguins enter Game 6 against the New York Rangers without their captain Sidney Crosby, their No. 1 netminder Tristan Jarry and top-pairing defenseman Brian Dumoulin.
Crosby, who took an elbow to the head at Madison Square Garden in Game 5, skated individually with skills coach Ty Hennes ahead of Friday’s full-team session. However, he did not take part in the full-team skate.
Coach Mike Sullivan said the captain was officially out for Friday’s game.
“This isn’t anything that our team isn’t accustomed to,” Sullivan said. “We’ve played a fair amount of this season in these circumstances, in these situations. It’s a great opportunity for guys to step up and play more significant roles and contribute in other ways to help the team win. I think our players are excited about it. And they’ve shown an ability to rise to the occasion.”
Crosby had been dominating the series with nine points through the first five games. But late in the second period on Wednesday, as he went to play a puck near the right faceoff dot, Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba came in high. His elbow appeared to connect with Crosby’s head. The Rangers blueliner did not receive a penalty on the ice and was not subject to any supplemental discipline from the league.
Based on the morning skate, the Penguins will have to reshuffle their lineup to fill the void. Evgeni Malkin was bumped up to the top line between Crosby’s regular wingers, Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust.
Historically, Malkin has found a way to elevate his game when Crosby is absent. Geno has produced 1.13 points per game in the 833 contests with Crosby. In the 148 games without him? He’s racked up 1.34 points per game.
“I think his track record speaks for itself,” Sullivan said. “He’s a terrific hockey player. I know how much he cares about helping this team win. I know how invested he is in the Pittsburgh Penguins. We expect him to be the player that he’s been for us my whole time here.”
Meanwhile, versatile forward Evan Rodrigues moved into the middle of a pseudo second line, centering Danton Heinen and Kasperi Kapanen. On several instances, Sullivan has noted how much the club has liked Rodrigues in the middle.
“One of the reasons why we signed E-Rod was because of his versatility and our ability to move him up and down our lineup, depending on what the needs of the team are,” Sullivan said. “He’s certainly fulfilled that for us this year and then some. He’s had a real solid year for us. He’s played some of his best hockey at the center position.”
Jarry update
Jarry was a full participant at the full team skate for the first time since sustaining a broken foot. However, Sullivan has ruled him out for Game 6.
Asked if the club considered using Jarry as a backup behind starter Louis Domingue, Sullivan said that the coaching staff and medial team have had some of those conversations “behind the scenes.”
“We’re trying to put players in position to be successful,” Sullivan said. “We understand how important he is to our team. And so we’re trying to make decisions accordingly that are best for the team and best for Tristan.”
It’s important to remember that playing goal is different than being a skater — and so too is the return-to-play process. The position is predicated upon reaction time and muscle memory. So even if a netminder is physically able to stop a puck without the risk of re-injury, it still takes additional time to be ready to face live playoff action.
Friday was the first time Jarry has even seen live 5-on-5 action in front of him since he broke his foot almost exactly a month ago on April 14.
In total, Jarry has now been on the ice five times, progressing from taking mental reps at first to fielding shots from goaltending coach Andy Chiodo. He took what Sullivan termed a “big step” in his recovery Wednesday when he participated in an optional morning skate, facing 2-on-1s and other similar drills that can be done with only about a dozen players on the ice.
Rakell a ‘game-time’ decision, Dumoulin out
Forward Rickard Rakell, who has not played since taking a hit to the head in Game 1, skated with the team again. He did not take part in line rushes. However, Sullivan said the deadline-day addition will be a game-time decision.
Those messages are mixed. So his status will not become completely clear until warmups.
Down the depth chart, second-year pro Drew O’Connor jumped in on the fourth line on a trio that also featured Teddy Blueger and Brian Boyle. However, that would be dependent upon if Rakell plays.
Finally, Dumoulin will miss his fifth consecutive playoff game due to a lower-body injury. He is continuing the off-ice portion of his rehab and has not been on the ice since the morning skate ahead of Game 2.
