Crosby day to day for Penguins with lower-body injury

PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosby will not play Saturday and is day to day for the Pittsburgh Penguins with a lower-body injury.

The 38-year-old center left early in the second period of a 4-3 shootout win at the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. The Penguins face the Dallas Stars at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday (5 p.m. ET; Victory+, SN-PIT).

The Pittsburgh captain missed 11 games recently after sustaining a lower-body injury during the second period of Team Canada’s 4-3 overtime win against Team Czechia in the quarterfinals at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 18. He did not play in the semifinals and a 2-1 overtime loss to Team USA in the gold medal game on Feb 22.

Crosby returned March 18 and had five points (one goal, four assists) in five games before being injured Thursday. He leads Pittsburgh with 64 points (28 goals, 36 assists) in 61 games this season, his 21st in the NHL.

Crosby missed two games in his previous three seasons.

The Penguins (36-20-16) are third in the Metropolitan Division, one point behind the New York Islanders. They have missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past three seasons and last won a postseason series in 2018.

A three-time Stanley Cup champion (2009, 2016, 2017), Crosby was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2016 and 2017. He made 16 straight appearances in the playoffs with the Penguins from 2007-22 after missing as a rookie in 2005-06.

“That’s why we play,” Crosby said on Feb. 25. “Obviously, the Olympics was a great opportunity and experience, but I think you shift your focus to playing in the playoffs. It’s so special and so fun to be in those big games, and to play for that. So, that’s where my mind’s at.”

Evgeni Malkin will miss his third straight game on Saturday with an upper-body injury and is also day to day. The 39-year-old forward has 52 points (15 goals, 37 assists) in 50 games in his 20th season.

"It's what happens anytime somebody comes out,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said. “Guys have to step up, they have to elevate. Guys have to take on different responsibilities, different minutes, you know, from maybe what they've had in the past. It's the same thing, it's the same thing we've been doing. Obviously, with Sid and with Geno, not one person is going to go in there and suddenly replace them. All these things have to be done by committee, and that's what we've been doing when guys have been out all year."

Without Crosby, the Penguins are 5-3-3 this season. They are 2-1-2 without both him and Malkin.

“I think when Sid leaves the game, obviously, we have two options,” defenseman Erik Karlsson said on Thursday. “We can hang our heads and admit defeat or everybody can just say to themselves that, ‘I’m going to do my absolute best every time I get out there.’ ... Hope the big guys can come back here shortly.”

Crosby is eighth all-time in points (1,751) and assists (1,098), and 15th in goals (653). His 201 points (71 goals, 130 assists) in the playoffs are the sixth-most in NHL history.

Named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players at the League's Centennial celebration in 2017, Crosby has won the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP twice (2006-07, 2013-14), the Ted Lindsay Award as MVP as voted by the NHL Players' Association three times (2006-07, 2012-13, 2013-14), the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's scoring leader twice (2006-07, 2013-14) and the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy for leading the League in goals twice (2009-10, 2016-17).

“I’m confident,” Crosby said on Feb. 25. “I think we’ve shown all year, we’ve had injuries and guys have stepped up to get to where we are at this point. I think it’s because of our team play. I don’t think it’s been any one person. It’s because collectively, as a group, we’ve found different ways to win and different guys have stepped up.

“As long as we continue that and understand that, then I think we give ourselves a good chance. ... A lot of teams are trying to get points and are in similar positions. Just really confident, as far as that’s concerned.”