NHL Metropolitan

Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby will play in Sunday's decisive Game 7 against the New York Rangers.

Crosby was knocked out of Game 5 of the Penguins' first-round playoff series after taking a high hit to the head area from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba.

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said Crosby suffered an upper-body injury, and the center was ruled out of Game 6. The Athletic's Rob Rossi reported that Crosby had a concussion.

At the time of the injury, the Penguins were up 3-1 in the series and 2-0 in Game 5, but the momentum shifted when Crosby went down, as the Rangers came back to win Game 5 by a 5-3 score.

The 34-year-old Crosby is one of the greatest NHL players of all time with a list of accolades that rivals almost anyone in the history of hockey.

Since going No. 1 overall in the 2005 NHL draft, Crosby has met and exceeded all expectations.

Crosby has been selected to eight All-Star Games and has won the following awards twice: the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading point scorer and the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the NHL's leading goal scorer.

The two-time Team Canada Olympic gold medalist is also a three-time Stanley Cup champion, taking Pittsburgh the distance in 2009, 2016 and 2017.

In 1,108 career regular-season games over 17 seasons with the Penguins, Crosby has racked up 517 goals and 892 assists for 1,409 points.

He continues to play at a high level as well, posting 31 goals and 53 assists for 84 points in 69 games this season.

Even this deep into his career, Crosby is still the player who makes the Penguins go, and they desperately need their captain in order to go any deeper in the playoffs.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain and center Sidney Crosby practiced with the team Saturday after missing part of Game 5 and all of Game 6 of his team's first-round playoff series against the New York Rangers, per The Athletic.

Per Rob Rossi of the Athletic, Crosby suffered a concussion in Game 5 following a hit from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba, who was not punished by the NHL's department of player safety.

The Pens and Blueshirts will play the series-deciding Game 7 on Sunday at 7 p.m. ET in New York's Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers trailed 2-0 in Game 5 when Crosby was injured. They've since outscored Pittsburgh 10-6 (5-3 wins in Games 5 and 6) to knot the series at three games apiece.

Crosby is a major loss. He had two goals and seven assists in four-plus games vs. New York. The three-time Stanley Cup winner and two-time Hart Memorial Trophy winners also excelled in the regular season with 31 goals and 53 assists. Naturally, Crosby's return to practice is a welcoming sign with the Penguins' season now on the line.

The Athletic also reported that starting goaltender Tristan Jarry is practicing fully with the team over four weeks after suffering a broken foot against the New York Islanders. He's reportedly been skating for almost a week and has been facing shots in practice over the past few days. Louie Domingue has started in net in his place.

Crosby and Jarry are considered day-to-day, per Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan (h/t Rossi).

The winner of the Penguins-Rangers matchup will face the victor of the Boston Bruins-Carolina Hurricanes series. Game 7 of that series will be played Saturday at 4:30 p.m.

The New York Rangers aren't done yet.

The Blueshirts forced a Game 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-3 Game 6 win on Friday night at PPG Paints Arena thanks to a late, fluky third-period goal scored by Chris Kreider. 

With 1:28 remaining in the third period, Kreider took a shot from just inside the blue line that found the back of the net after it bounced off Penguins goaltender Louis Domingue, who appeared to punch at it in midair, and into the goal. 

Kreider's fourth goal of the series gave the visitors at 4-3 lead. Andrew Copp capped off the scoring with 27 seconds. After the game, fans were quick to criticize Domingue, Pittsburgh's third-string goaltender for the loss. He stopped 33 of 37 shots.

It's a particularly disappointing result for the Penguins, especially considering Domingue will almost certainly start Game 7 with both Tristan Jarry and Casey DeSmith sidelined. 

Game 7 is set for Sunday at Madison Square Garden, and the Penguins will be praying that Domingue doesn't make a similar mistake. 

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby won't play Friday night against the New York Rangers because of an upper-body injury.

Head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters Crosby went through a morning skate with skating and skills development coach Ty Hennes, but he won't be available for the game.

Crosby left Pittsburgh's 5-3 loss to the Rangers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference playoffs after taking a big hit from Jacob Trouba.

Sullivan told reporters after the game that Crosby was being evaluated but didn't offer specific details about the injury.

The Penguins hold a 3-2 series lead and can close out the Rangers with a win at home Friday. If the Rangers win, they will host Game 7 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Crosby was fantastic in the series prior to the injury. The eight-time All-Star had nine points (two goals, seven assists) in the first five games against the Rangers. Pittsburgh's offense scored seven goals in each of its Game 3 and 4 wins.

The Penguins offense runs through Crosby and Jake Guentzel. Crosby did miss two weeks early in the season because of a positive COVID-19 test.

Guentzel will have to take on a bigger share of the offensive burden with Crosby unavailable. Evgeni Malkin, who had two assists in Game 5, should see more time on the ice. 

Upon returning to the lineup on Nov. 14, Crosby was a consistent presence for the Penguins all season. He appeared in 69 regular-season games, tying for the team lead with 84 points and finishing second with 53 assists.

Pittsburgh finished third in the Metropolitan Division with 103 points. The team hasn't advanced past the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs since the 2017-18 season.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby is being evaluated for an upper-body injury after Wednesday's 5-3 Game 5 loss against the New York Rangers.

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters that he didn't have an update beyond that.

Crosby missed the first seven games of the season because of surgery on his left wrist in early September. He also tested positive for COVID-19 early in the year. In total, Crosby missed 13 games this season.

Crosby was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NHL entry draft and is considered one of the greatest hockey players of all time. The 34-year-old is an eight-time All-Star and two-time Hart Trophy winner as the league's MVP.

Crosby led Pittsburgh to three Stanley Cup victories in 2009, 2016 and 2017. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2016 and 2017, becoming the third player ever to earn the achievement in consecutive years.

The uncertainty surrounding Crosby's status going forward only adds more pressure to the Penguins as they attempt to close out their series against the Rangers in Friday's Game 6 in Pittsburgh.

Throughout the majority of the first two periods in Wednesday's Game 5 against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the New York Rangers looked like they were on the verge of getting eliminated from the playoffs on their home ice.

But the Rangers flipped a switch late in the second period, scoring three goals within the final three minutes en route to a 5-3 victory at Madison Square Garden to stay alive in the postseason.

So what exactly led to New York's impressive turnaround? Coincidentally, the Rangers' run began shortly after Penguins star Sidney Crosby left the game with an undisclosed injury. Crosby exited late in the second period after taking a shot to the head from Jacob Trouba, and he didn't return.

Fans couldn't help but notice that the Rangers turned up their game once Pittsburgh's best player was off the ice.

Some fans accused Trouba of committing a dirty play by hitting Crosby up high, and the referees were lit up for not calling a penalty. 

The series between the Rangers and Penguins has been a contentious one from the start, and this injury to Crosby is sure to amplify the tension between the two teams. It's unclear if Crosby will be forced to miss time going forward, but his absence is undoubtedly a major blow to Pittsburgh.

Whether it was Crosby's injury that sparked the Rangers or something else, New York needs to bring that same energy to Pittsburgh for Game 6 on Friday if it hopes to stave off elimination once again.

The New York Islanders announced Monday they have fired head coach Barry Trotz.

New York finished fifth in the Metropolitan Division with 84 points. The Islanders saw their points percentage fall from .634 in 2020-21 to .512 in 2021-22 as they missed the postseason for the first time since 2018.

"It's my role to make the best decision for the organization going forward and I believe this group of players needs a new voice, it's in no way negative on Barry Trotz," general manager Lou Lamoriello told reporters of the decision.

Lamoriello alluded to other factors at play without providing specifics:

Absent more context, the move is puzzling.

Trotz made an immediate impact with the franchise, having taken the job in 2018-19 on the heels of his Stanley Cup triumph with the Washington Capitals. 

The Islanders reached the Eastern Conference Finals in his second season, where they lost to the eventual champion Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. The next year, they were in the semifinals again, where the Lightning again got the better of them en route to the Stanley Cup.

New York fell short of expectations this year. Bleacher Report's Lyle Fitzsimmons ranked the team seventh in the league as training camp was getting underway.

But the Islanders had to deal with a 13-game road trip to open the year and experienced a COVID-19 outbreak midway through. Placing all the blame on Trotz for a 37-35-10 record would be unfair.

Now that he's on the open market, the 59-year-old figures to be in high demand.

In New York, the pressure is squarely on Lamoriello. Beyond firing Trotz, he has invested heavily in the current roster, leaving the front office with limited flexibility.

Absent a way to make a meaningful upgrade to the squad, a coaching change is one way to shake things up. But for many fans, that's unlikely to justify moving on from somebody who delivered the success Trotz did.

The Boston Bruins will meet the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the third time in the last four seasons, and while the Black and Gold won each of the last two series, there's no guarantee they make it three straight in 2022. 

Carolina defeated Boston in all three regular-season meetings this year, outscoring the Bruins 16-1. That said, Bruce Cassidy's side has gone through a shakeup since the last time these two teams met in February. 

For one, the Bruins added veteran defenseman Hampus Lindholm, bolstering their blue line for a deep playoff run. Cassidy also shook up his top lines during the final stretch of the regular season, most notably breaking up the "Perfection Line" of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak.

Jake DeBrusk is now playing on Boston's top line alongside Marchand and Bergeron, while Pastrnak is playing on the second line with Taylor Hall and Erik Haula, who signed a two-year contract with the Bruins during the offseason. 

Breaking up the top line has been somewhat of a blessing for the Bruins, who have received much more depth scoring since making the switch. Depth scoring will be a key in Boston's first-round series against Carolina. So, let's take a look at that and some other keys to the Black and Gold winning the series. 

Depth Scoring

Pastrnak led the Bruins in scoring this season, notching 40 goals in 72 games. Marchand tallied 32 goals in 70 games, and Bergeron finished with 25 in 73 games. That said, Boston also had six other players who reached double digits in scoring — DeBrusk, Hall, Haula, Charlie Coyle, Craig Smith and Charlie McAvoy. 

For comparison, the Bruins had just two players not named Marchand. Bergeron or Pastrnak to reach double digits in scoring during the 2020-21 season—Smith and Nick Ritchie. 

The increase in depth scoring has taken much of the scoring load off Boston's top line. However, the Bruins' depth scoring has been inconsistent in the past, and that's why it will be an important factor in their upcoming series against the Hurricanes. 

That said, it's important to note the Hurricanes will most likely be without starting goaltender Frederik Andersen for the first few games of the first round as he continues to recover from a leg injury, according to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski. 

Andersen had been in the midst of his best season in the NHL before suffering the injury, posting a 2.17 goals-against average, .922 save percentage and four shutouts in 52 games. His loss will be a tough one for Carolina. 

Backup goaltender Antti Raanta is in line to get the start against Boston, with rookie Pyotr Kochetkov set to back him up. Raanta posted a 2.45 GAA, .912 save percentage and two shutouts in 28 games. Those numbers aren't bad by any means, but he's beatable. 

If Andersen misses the first few games of the series, Boston's depth scoring will need to put pressure on Raanta to make big saves. If they throw pucks on net, the Bruins will be better off. 

Goaltending

The biggest difference for Boston this season has been not having Tuukka Rask in the crease. The veteran netminder announced his retirement in February after attempting a comeback from hip surgery, and the Bruins have relied on rookie Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark in goal.

Swayman had an impressive rookie season, posting a 2.41 GAA, .914 save percentage and three shutouts in 41 games. Ullmark, meanwhile, recorded a 2.45 GAA, .917 save percentage and one shutout in 41 games. 

Considering both goaltenders played well and split games during the regular season, it's possible both play in the first round. Cassidy has yet to name a starter for the playoffs. However, he told reporters he isn't afraid to play the hot hand. 

"Will we run with one guy? Absolutely, if he’s on," Cassidy said. "If a guy is not on, we’re not afraid to go to the other guy, because we’ve seen him play well."

That said, neither goaltender has played in the postseason during their careers. So, it'll be interesting to see how they handle the challenge of stopping players like Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen. 

Health

The Bruins, like any team, are significantly better when fully healthy. That said, staying healthy will be a key to Boston moving on to the second round. 

Later in the regular season, the Black and Gold went a period without Pastrnak or Lindholm available due to injury. Pastrnak missed eight games between April 5 and April 22nd, and the B's went 3-5 in that span. Lindholm was also absent for seven of those matchups.

Considering Pastrnak and Lindholm are two of Boston's best players, it will be important they stay healthy if the Bruins want to defeat the Hurricanes. In addition, it'll be important players like Marchand, Bergeron and McAvoy avoid injury.

Boston's depth beyond what it has on the roster is questionable, which only makes it more important that the team stays healthy. You won't want the Black and Gold picking up players from their AHL affiliate in Providence because not many of them are ready for NHL competition. 

Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin scored twice in Wednesday night's 4-3 overtime loss to the Vegas Golden Knights to become the oldest player in NHL history to reach 50 goals.

The 36-year-old winger passed Johnny Bucyk, who held the record at 35, and he also tied Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy for the most 50-goal seasons with nine.

"Obviously, it's pretty good company," Ovechkin told reporters. "Obviously, lots of great memories, locker room, everything, hotel. It's gonna stay here forever. Yeah, pretty fun moments."

Ovechkin scored early in the second period to give the Caps a 2-1 lead and found the net again with just over six minutes remaining in the third to tie the game and force overtime. Shea Theodore scored in OT to give Vegas a much-needed two points in the playoff race.

Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer was in awe of how well the sniper continues to play.

"How good is Ovechkin? It's unbelievable," DeBoer said. "Two tonight, and he could've had another two. He looks like he's 25 years old out there. He's so dangerous."

The Russian, who tallied 52 goals as a rookie in 2005-06 and hasn't stopped scoring ever since, now has 780 career goals. That puts him within striking distance of Gretzky's all-time mark of 894.

Given how rapidly he's continued to light the lamp, tallying at least 48 goals in each of the last four full seasons, he's got a real shot not only to become the NHL's leading scorer but also to put some distance between himself and the rest of the field.

That would cap an already decorated career that will make him a first-ballot Hall of Famer. He's earned 12 All-Star Game appearances, won the "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's leading goal scorer nine times and captured the Hart Trophy as the NHL MVP on three occasions.

Ovechkin also helped lead the Capitals to the first Stanley Cup title in franchise history in 2018, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.

Washington has clinched another postseason appearance but faces plenty of competition in a deep, talented Eastern Conference field.

But first, Ovechkin gets a few more chances to add to his goal total with five games left in the regular season. Next up is a road game against the Arizona Coyotes on Friday.