Sidney Crosby was placed in NHL COVID-19 protocol and did not play for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 5-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.
“It was a challenge,” Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. “Obviously, those are difficult circumstances. They’re unexpected circumstances. But as I said to the players, all we can do is focus on the game and control what we can. We tried to keep our focus on hockey and the players that were in the lineup tonight.”
The Penguins cancelled their morning skate Tuesday because of protocol.
“As I said to our players, we can do all the right things and this kind of stuff could happen,” Sullivan said before the game. “The other thing I would say is just because someone is on the COVID protocol list doesn’t necessarily mean that they have COVID. There are protocols put in place for a reason, and we will do our very best to adhere to them.”
Crosby is tied with Jake Guentzel for the Penguins lead with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists). The center was second among Pittsburgh forwards in ice time per game (20:24) behind Jake Guentzel (20:34).
“You have to just roll with the punches,” Penguins forward Bryan Rust said. “I have to give a lot of credit to the guys. Everyone came ready to play. They knew the circumstances, and I think a lot of guys stepped up today.”
Crosby missed 28 games last season after having core muscle surgery Nov. 14, 2019. The Penguins were 18-6-4 in those games.
“He’s an influential player for us in so many different areas,” Sullivan said of the Penguins captain. “He’s not an easy guy to replace by any stretch, but we have been through this experience in the past and found ways to have success. It should provide opportunities for others to step up.”
NHL.com independent correspondent Wes Crosby contributed to this report