COLUMBUS -- Pittsburgh Penguins coach Mike Johnston said there is no update whether center Sidney Crosby has the mumps.
Crosby did not play on Friday in a win against the Calgary Flames and will not play against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Nationwide Arena on Saturday.
Johnston addressed the media prior to the game in Columbus and said the Penguins didn’t second guess themselves for allowing Crosby to go to Consol Energy Center on Friday morning despite swollen cheeks and not feeling well.
"Nobody thought he had the mumps," Johnston. "(The doctors) run their tests and didn’t feel he did, so he was cleared to come to the rink. After that, they decided to take more precautions. Because of the mumps scare and the concern for that, everybody is taking an extra step."
The Penguins placed defenseman Olli Maatta on injured reserve for an undisclosed injury after missing the past two games.
"They’re still running tests on him as well and trying to get a second opinion," Johnston said. "With with the injury, IR indicates he’s going to be out a couple of weeks while they’re running their tests and figuring out where they are going to go with it."
Johnson said last week that Maatta's absence from the lineup was not related to his undergoing surgery Nov. 4 to remove a cancerous tumor from his neck. Maatta missed six games post-surgery.
Johnston confirmed forwards Bobby Farnham and Bryan Rust will each make their NHL debut after being called up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Saturday. Forward Jayson Megna was sent to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and forward Zach Sill was injured Friday.
"Certainly Farnham brings a lot of energy," Johnston said. "He’s a hard forechecking, hard skating kind of guy. Rust is a guy than can be a complimentary player on a couple of different lines. He’s got good hands, good intelligence while he’s on the ice, so we can move him in and out."
NHL.com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center Ice name and logo, NHL Conference logos, NHL Winter Classic name, and The Biggest Assist Happens Off The Ice are registered trademarks and Vintage Hockey word mark and logo, The Game Lives Where You Do, NHL Winter Classic logo, NHL Heritage Classic name and logo, NHL Stadium Series name and logo, NHL All-Star logo, NHL Face-Off name and logo, NHL. TV, NHL Premium, NHL After Dark, NHL GameCenter, NHL GameCenter LIVE, NHL Network name and logo, NHL Tonight name and logo, On The Fly, NHL Awards name and logo, NHL Draft name and logo, Hockey Fights Cancer, Because It's The Cup, NHL Green name and logo, NHL Vault, Hockey Is For Everyone, NHL Thanksgiving Showdown name and logo, NHL Centennial Classic name and logo, NHL Centennial Season logo, NHL100 Classic name and logo, NHL Global Series name and logo, NHL China Games name and logo, and Don't Miss A Moment are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. © NHL 2018. All Rights Reserved. All NHL team jerseys customized with NHL players' names and numbers are officially licensed by the NHL and the NHLPA. The Zamboni word mark and configuration of the Zamboni ice resurfacing machine are registered trademarks of Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. © Frank J. Zamboni & Co., Inc. 2018. All Rights Reserved. Any other third party trademarks or copyrights are property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.