On Monday night, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review reported that Penguins center Sidney Crosby was scheduled to meet with his medical team on Tuesday. Rob Rossi reported that the meeting will be to determine if Crosby is ready for contact. Crosby has not played since January 5 of last season and he is not expected to play Tuesday night in the Penguins home opener at Consol Energy Center.
The Penguins are coming off a season-opening road trip in Western Canada, where they went 2-0-1 for an Atlantic Division-leading five points. Crosby traveled with the team to Vancouver, Calgary, and Edmonton and has continued to practice with the team, albeit without clearance for contact. He articulated previously that he planned to meet with his doctor, Michael Collins of the UPMC Sports Medicine Concussion Program, when the team returned from their road trip.
In addition to Crosby almost certainly being out for the home opener, Evgeni Malkin's status for the matchup against the Florida Panthers is still unknown. Malkin missed Sunday's game in Edmonton with a lower body injury.
The Penguins have been pleased with Crosby's progress since he started practicing in mid September, and the general feeling is that he is doing better with each week that passes. Tuesday's meeting could be a big step in his recovery and effort to get back on the ice.