Sidney Crosby skips practice with ‘upper body injury’
Coach Mike Sullivan declined to get into specifics about Crosby’s injury. Crosby did not miss a shift and played more than 21 minutes during Pittsburgh’s 4-2 loss to New Jersey on Tuesday night.
If the NHL had full injury transparency, panic might be diffused right now. <br><br>What if Sidney Crosby just strained his shoulder or bruised his arm? Instead, it’s the nebulous “upper-body injury” and we all automatically think the worst.
—@THNMattLarkin
The 31-year-old Crosby is off to an uneven start for the Penguins, with eight goals and 11 assists in 16 games.
Pittsburgh has dropped five of six games overall and is 7-6-3 nearly a quarter of the way into the season. The Penguins host Tampa Bay on Thursday night.
Pittsburgh shook up its lineup on Wednesday, trading forward Carl Hagelin to Los Angeles for Tanner Pearson.