The lineup the Pittsburgh Penguins will dress for Thursday’s home game against the Philadelphia Flyers will look different than the group they sent out Saturday in a 4-2 home loss against the New Jersey Devils.

And that lineup looked different than their previous game, a 4-0 defeat at home to the Calgary Flames. Which was different than the preceding contest. And so on.

Such as been the reality for the 2020-21 edition of the franchise. Yes, there have been more than a few injuries typically born out of the physical rigors the sport presents.

But the other reality the Penguins have needed to confront — not just this season but for parts of the previous two — has been covid-19.

It has pockmarked their lineup to some degree for six of their eight games this season.

They added a few more degrees Wednesday when it was learned forward Sidney Crosby and defenseman Brian Dumoulin, two of the franchise’s most important players, have been placed into the NHL’s protocol for covid-19 after they tested positive for the virus.

Coach Mike Sullivan indicated Crosby has experienced mild symptoms and Dumoulin has been asymptomatic.

Their statuses were announced less than 48 hours after the Penguins said defensemen Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel tested positive for the virus Sunday evening.

Pettersson and Ruhwedel have experienced mild symptoms, according to Sullivan, and are said to be improving.

In addition to Crosby, Dumoulin, Pettersson and Ruhwedel, forwards Zach Aston-Reese, Jeff Carter, Jake Guentzel and defenseman Kris Letang have all been isolated at times since the preseason after testing positive.

Goaltender Tristan Jarry was briefly isolated for one day but released once it was learned a positive test was false.

NHL protocols call for players who test positive to remain in isolation for 10 days. Vaccinated players can be released early from that isolation, however, provided they are asymptomatic and test negative on two consecutive days within that 10-day window.

The Penguins play five games in the next 10 days.

“It’s tough,” Sullivan said in a somewhat uncharacteristically somber tone Wednesday. “I’m not going to lie. We are trying to do all the right things. We do have a discussion, if not daily, a few times a week about it. Our players and our staff, we’re all trying to do the right things as far as mitigating the risk. Our team has taken on more responsibility just with testing and things of that nature in trying to do the right thing in identifying a case when it pops up and trying to remove them from the group and from their families or whatever it may be. It’s not just the players. It’s the families. Everybody is involved here.

“It’s been a little bit discouraging because I know how disciplined our group is. I feel as an organization, we’re trying to do everything we can to mitigate the rise. And yet, we’re still getting it.”

The 2020-21 season, which was orchestrated under unprecedented conditions, had fairly restrictive measures put in place by the NHL. The current campaign has no such limitations as virtually every player in the league has been vaccinated.

The Penguins had a handful of players placed into the NHL’s protocol for covid-19 last season but, according to Sullivan, the Penguins never had one player contract the virus over the course of the 2020-21 season. General manager Ron Hextall said at the start of training camp that all Penguins players would be vaccinated before the start of the season.

“Our team was so disciplined in adhering to those protocols (in 2020-21),” Sullivan said. “I said to them last year, we can do all the right things and still get it. That’s the reality, I think, of the world that we live in right now. It’s not an easy thing to put your finger on. I still think everybody is trying to figure it out, quite honestly. Kids are going to school every day. Our players have kids. They’re trying to live their lives as best they can. That’s all we can do. We’re trying to control what we can, we’re trying to mitigate the risk as best we can and then we’re just going to react accordingly the best way we can.”

Crosby’s reaction to testing positive was presumably frustration. After all, Crosby did not make his season debut until Saturday after missing the first seven games of the season as he recovered from offseason surgery to his left wrist.

“I’m sure he’s discouraged,” Sullivan said. “He’s worked extremely hard to get to this point. We were all so excited about getting him back in the lineup and just getting him back in the fold. This just kind of puts another roadblock in front of it. We’ll control what we can here. We’ve got capable people and we’re hopeful Sid will return soon.”

The Penguins are clearly hoping to find a solution to their dilemma soon. At the same time, they accept this is simply an actuality of playing hockey in a pandemic.

“We’re a hockey team,” Letang said. “We’re in a situation where we’re always together, we shower together, we travel together, we’re in a car or buses together. And what it does, if someone (tests) positive, it affects the entire group. In other employment, you just have to stay at home and you can still work on your computer or do other things.

“Obviously, we want to have the best lineup every single night. Covid brings a lot of adversity this year towards that. Concern? Yes. But at the same time, it’s the reality that we’re living in. We have to deal with it. We’ve done it all year long already. Some people (have risen) to the occasion. Some people will have to step up and take bigger roles. I don’t think guys are concerned. I just think it’s normal now these days that we have to face that.”

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