The Pittsburgh Penguins had a serious injury scare on Tuesday night involving Sidney Crosby. He collided awkwardly with New Jersey Devils forward Erik Haula and was evaluated for an upper-body injury. After returning to the game, Crosby left again and missed practice on Wednesday. Practice on Thursday was going to be key for Crosby's availability for Friday's game against the New York Rangers. According to multiple reports, he was on the ice for the practice.

He left practice a few minutes in but continued to skate on his own, per Josh Yohe of The Athletic.

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The Penguins lost that game to the Devils 3-2 in a shootout to fall to seventh in the Metropolitan Division. With 53 points from 55 games, they are well out of playoff contention as the trade deadline approaches. A lengthy absence from Crosby could have started a significant spiral for the Penguins but he raises their floor significantly.

The Penguins are already without Evgeni Malkin, who is on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. The center had struggled, scoring only nine goals in 47 games at 38 years old. Crosby, on the other hand, leads the team in scoring once again with 41 assists and 58 points.

For the Penguins to have any chance at making the playoffs, they must win both games before the 4 Nations Face-Off. They need a regulation win to close the gap against the Rangers. After that, they hit the road to play the Flyers. They are the only team behind them in the Metropolitan Division.

Penguins fans are not the only ones relieved by the most recent Crosby update. He is the captain of Team Canada in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. After his iconic goal in the 2010 Olympics and great Gold Medal performance in 2014, he is an international legend. With so few opportunities left, Crosby should shine while wearing the maple leaf again.