Penguins captain Sidney Crosby to be placed on covid-19 list

It’s been 360 days since Pittsburgh Penguins fans were last able to watch a game in person at PPG Paints Arena because of the covid-19 pandemic.

They’ll have to wait for a few more, at least, to see the team’s captain for similar reasons.

Sidney Crosby will not play in Tuesday’s home game against the rival Philadelphia Flyers as he will be placed on the NHL’s list of absences related to the league’s protocol for covid-19.

Coach Mike Sullivan announced Crosby’s status after his team’s morning skate was canceled because of the protocol.

Being placed on the list — which usually is updated daily after 5 p.m. — does not necessarily mean Crosby has tested positive for covid-19.

Per the NHL, a player may be placed on the list for the following reasons:

“(1) an initial positive test which remains unconfirmed until confirmatory testing is completed pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (2) mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals pursuant to the Positive Test Protocol; (3) required quarantine as a high-risk close contact in accordance with the Positive Test Protocol; (4) isolation based on a confirmed positive test result and/or; (5) quarantine for travel or other reasons as outlined in the covid-19 Protocol.”

NHL teams are not permitted to disclose why a player has been placed on the list.

“Just because someone is on the covid protocol list doesn’t necessarily mean that they have covid,” Sullivan said via video conference. “There’s protocols put in place for a reason. We will do our very best to try to adhere to the protocols. We’re going to control what we can to give ourselves the best chance to win. We can’t worry about those things that are out of our control.”

Crosby is the third Penguins player to be placed on the list since the season opened. He was preceded by forward Kasperi Kapanen and defenseman John Marino.

Kapanen was on the list at the start of the season after a delay in securing a work visa led to him needing to be quarantined after entering the U.S. from his native Finland. Marino was on the list for two days in early February for reasons that have not been disclosed.

The time a player must remain on the list can be indefinite.

In 20 games this season, Crosby is the Penguins’ leading scorer with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists).

While the morning skate was canceled, the game remains scheduled. In an e-mail, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly indicated the game will proceed “as a result of additional testing that was done and additional information gathered and analyzed.”

How the Penguins will replace Crosby in the lineup remains to be seen. Sullivan indicated roster moves, such as a recall from the taxi squad or from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, were being discussed with management.

In reality, there probably is no way to truly replace one of the NHL’s best players any time he is absent from the lineup.

“It’s tough,” Sullivan said. “We all know how good a player he is and the impact he has just with his game. Just the impact that he has on our dressing room and on the bench, he’s influential for us in so many different areas. He’s not an easy guy to replace by any stretch. But we’ve been through this experience in the past and have found ways to have success. It should provide opportunities for others to step up.

“We have a number of guys on our roster that have played center or can play center. Jared McCann is one that can play center. Sam Lafferty can play center as he played in (road games against the New York Islanders Saturday and Sunday). So we’ve got a number of different guys that we can move into that center ice position. We’ll try to put out the best lineup that we can that gives us the chance to win.”

In order to increase hopes of a victory, the team presumably will need a greater contribution than from its other franchise center, Evgeni Malkin, to this point in the season. In 20 games, Malkin has 12 points (four goals, eight assists).

Through his career, Malkin regularly has provided a boost to the team on the repeated occasions Crosby has been sidelined.

“His game is coming,” Sullivan said. “We feel as though it has been trending the right direction here for a couple of weeks. In my experience of coaching him, when Sid hasn’t been in the lineup, (Malkin) finds another level to his game. That’s what we’re going to need from him in order to have success. But certainly, he’s shown in the past that he’s been able to step up for us and fill that void. We’re hopeful that he can continue to do that.”

Tuesday’s game will be the first at PPG Paints Arena with fans in attendance since March 8, 2020. The Pa. Department of Health has permitted the team to open the venue to 15% capacity.

“We’re real excited,” Sullivan said. “They’re such a big part of the experience. It hasn’t been easy, playing in empty buildings here for a while. Our players are really excited about the opportunity to have fans back in the building. We look forward to that experience. We’re grateful for the loyalty that our fans show through this difficult time. … I know our players are appreciative of that.”

Notes:

• Sullivan indicated goaltender Tristan Jarry will start. In 14 games this season, Jarry has a 7-6-1 record, a 3.14 goals-against average and a .894 save percentage.

• According to Sullivan, injured forward Mark Jankowski, typically the team’s fourth-line center, will remain sidelined for a third consecutive game because of an undisclosed injury. He skated with members of the taxi squad along with defenseman Brian Dumoulin and forward Evan Rodrigues, each on injured reserve with undisclosed ailments.

• Defenseman Juuso Riikola (undisclosed) remains on injured reserve and was scheduled to participate in the morning skate before it was canceled.

• The Flyers are scheduled to start goaltender Carter Hart. This season, Hart has appeared in 12 games and has a 6-3-3 record, a 3.35 goals-against average, a .899 save percentage and one shutout.

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