Bylsma says Crosby's ‘healthy, ready to go'

PITTSBURGH — Sidney Crosby is not playing hurt in the Stanley Cup playoffs, Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said Thursday.

(This article was written by Rob Rossi, a staff writer for Channel 11’s news exchange partners at TribLIVE.)

“He's like everyone else: healthy and ready to go,” Bylsma said.

The Penguins did not practice Thursday. Their best-of-seven series with Columbus is tied, 2-2, with Game 5 on Saturday night at Consol Energy Center.

Crosby, the club's captain and top center, has not said he is injured, and Penguins players were not made available Thursday.

However, Crosby appeared to favor his foot after making a turn during the Penguins' home loss to Columbus in Game 2 on Saturday night. Also, he missed two of the Penguins' final four regular-season games because of what the team termed an upper-body injury.

Crosby has averaged 22 minutes, 50 seconds against the Blue Jackets. He averaged 21:58 during the regular season.

The NHL scoring leader during the regular season, Crosby has not produced a goal and recorded only four secondary assists in Round 1. He has a nine-game goal drought dating to last postseason.

(Rob Rossi is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at rrossi@tribweb.com or via Twitter @RobRossi_Trib.)

WPXI