CRANBERRY, PA -- Sidney Crosby joined his teammates for the Penguins' optional practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex Saturday afternoon in advance of Game 7 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoffs matchup with the Rangers. He wore a regular black practice jersey.
It was the first time Crosby skated with the team since taking a hit up high from the Rangers' Jacob Trouba in Game 5. He skated on his own with Penguins' skills coach Ty Hennes on Friday morning before the team took the ice for their game-day skate at PPG Paints Arena.
Mike Sullivan told reporters after practice Saturday that Crosby, along with Rickard Rakell and Tristan Jarry, remains day-to-day.
Rakell, out since leaving Game 1 due to a hit to the head from the Rangers' Ryan Lindgren, and Jarry, out since mid-April with a broken foot, were on the ice for practice Saturday afternoon and have now participated in several skates with the rest of the team during their rehab process.
Crosby wasn't out there just to get a light skate in, either. Before practice even started, he was working with Hennes and appeared to be pushing himself harder than I've seen him work since I began covering the team full-time.
"It means a lot," Sullivan said of the impact Crosby had simply by being on the ice Saturday. "He's in good spirits. He's in a good place. He's doing his very best to get himself back and ready as quickly as he can. We'll see how that process goes, but I think any time he's on the ice, I think it's good for our team, it's good for our players, it's good for our morale, and that's certainly a boost for our guys."
Crosby didn't have any visible limitations, and certainly didn't look like a player that wouldn't be able to suit up for Game 7.
"We'll take each day as it comes," Sullivan said regarding Crosby, Rakell and Jarry. "I'm not gonna speculate at this point. They're obviously on the ice. That's encouraging. They're making progress."
MORE FROM PRACTICE:
• I'd be shocked if Jarry isn't between the pipes Sunday night for Game 7. The Penguins made it a point to get Jarry a ton of shots during practice, many of which required him to move laterally in his crease. He didn't appear to be holding himself back in any capacity.
At one point during practice, goaltenders Louis Domingue and Alex D'Orio were casually hanging out in the neutral zone while the rest of the team peppered Jarry at the East end of the rink.
• The following players participated in the optional skate: Crosby, Rakell, Evan Rodrigues, Kasperi Kapanen, Teddy Blueger, Drew O'Connor, Radim Zohorna, Kris Letang, John Marino, Chad Ruhwedel, Mark Friedman, Nathan Beaulieu, Jarry, Domingue and D'Orio.
Expect each skater that did not participate to hit the ice Sunday morning for the Penguins' game-day skate.
• Brian Boyle is still being evaluated for a lower-body injury, per Sullivan. He left Game 6 after delivering a booming hit to Trouba behind the Rangers' net. He had to be helped down the tunnel to the Penguins' locker room and did not return.
• Injured defenseman Brian Dumoulin, who hasn't played since Game 1, is continuing his off-ice rehab and progressing, Sullivan said. He has not skated since the injury occurred.
