Penguins’ Sidney Crosby exits with lower-body injury; severity unclear

Penguins coach Dan Muse had no substantive update about the condition of Sidney Crosby after the team captain exited Pittsburgh's Thursday road game against the Ottawa Senators due to a lower-body injury.

Crosby played the first 38 seconds of the second period, then exited for good in a game the Penguins went on to win 4-3 in a shootout.

"Still got to get some updates," Muse said postgame. "I got to talk to the medical staff some more. It's lower body, but I don't have any other updates for you now."

Crosby ended the night with no points, one shot on goal and a plus-1 rating in 6:39 of ice time.

Before Thursday, he had played in four games and registered five points (one goal, four assists) since returning from an injury absence. He sat out the Penguins' first 11 games following the Olympic break. A lower-body ailment kept him off the ice for Team Canada in its semifinal win and final loss in Milan.

"I really think that everybody hates seeing (Crosby exit injured), but at the same time, we've got to keep playing," Penguins forward Rickard Rakell said, according to NHL.com.

Crosby, 38, has 28 goals and 36 assists in 61 games this season. He is the Penguins' all-time leader in games (1,413), assists (1,098) and points (1,751). Crosby ranks second in club history in goals, with his 653 trailing only Mario Lemieux's 690.

The Penguins (36-20-16, 88 points) occupy second place in the Metropolitan Division, eight points behind the Carolina Hurricanes and one point ahead of both the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders.