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A18 SPORTS
Wednesday 3 May 2017

change in the dynamic of
Continued from Page 17 Sidney Crosby the series, Pittsburgh for-
ward Evgeni Malkin went
back out for a brief post-
Crosby spent part of Tues- diagnosed with a concus- game skate on Monday
day at the team’s training sion of his own following a night and was one of a
facility being evaluated. collision with teammate handful of regulars who
Barely 12 hours removed Patric Hornqvist, leaving showed up for an optional
from a hit that sent a jolt the Penguins in a familiar skate on Tuesday.
across the league and pro- position: trying to win with- Malkin won the Hart Trophy
vided a stark reminder of out the some of the bold- in 2012, the same season in
Crosby’s concussion histo- faced names that helped which Crosby was limited
ry, the game’s best player them capture the fran- to just 22 games. The Rus-
tried to focus on pushing chise’s fourth Stanley Cup sian has a way of raising his
forward instead of looking last June. Goaltender Matt game with Crosby out. The
back. Murray and defenseman Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby (87) lies on the ice after tak- Penguins will need him to
“He’s very upbeat and he’s Kris Letang are already ing a hit from Washington Capitals’ Matt Niskanen during the first do it again if they want to
very positive,” Pittsburgh out, absences Crosby’s period of Game 3 in an NHL Stanley Cup Eastern Conference survive without Crosby.
coach Mike Sullivan said. brilliance has helped the semifinal hockey game against the Washington Capitals in Pitts- “He does things with the
“We’re very optimistic and Penguins overcome. burgh, Monday, May 1, 2017. puck like no one else,”
we’re hopeful that we’ll This, however, is something Associated Press Penguins forward Patric
get him back in a timely different. “You can’t re- “It should be nasty,” Wash- like to play. Hard hits. Go- Hornqvist said. “He looks
fashion.” place (Crosby) but I think ington forward Jay Bea- ing after each other.” like he’s playing loose. He’s
Just not in time to try and we’ve shown that through gle said. “It’s the playoffs. Even without Crosby, the a hell of a player. We’re
help the Penguins build the season whenever the That’s the way we like to Penguins won’t lack for looking forward to tomor-
on the 2-1 lead they take guy’s not there, other guys play. That’s the way they star power. As if sensing a
into Game 4 (7:30 p.m. ET, have to step up,” Fleury row and get the win.”q
NBCSN). Sullivan declined said. “And we’re lucky to
to speculate on Crosby’s have depth on our team. Recovering from knife attack,
availability beyond Game I think we have enough to
win games.” Niskanen re-
4. “The nature of these ceived a five-minute major Petra Kvitova back at practice
things is they’re all very
different,” Sullivan said. and a game misconduct
“Sometimes they come after his stick caught his for- The Associated Press back at practice, less than intruder. Kvitova posted
around quickly. Other mer teammate across the Two-time Wimbledon six months after being at- a photo on Instagram
times they don’t.” jaw. He will play after the champion Petra Kvitova is tacked by a knife-wielding on Tuesday showing her-
Crosby would know. He league decided against self swinging a tennis rack-
missed the second half of holding a hearing to re- et . She included the mes-
the 2010-11 season and view the incident. sage: “I hope this picture
most of 2011-12 following Washington coach Barry makes you as happy as it
the hit by Steckel. He sat Trotz called it “the right de- makes me! I am in Monaco
out two weeks after being cision” while stressing the and guess what? I’m back
diagnosed with a concus- cross-check was “a hock- on the tennis court, hitting
sion last October, returning ey play.” with some proper balls. ...”
in time to play in 75 games Fleury said the Penguins Kvitova has missed all sea-
and score an NHL-high 44 can’t get caught up in son so far while recover-
goals. Pittsburgh forward trying to retaliate, though ing from surgery on her
Conor Sheary could also Washington expects Pitts- left, racket-holding hand
be out of the lineup on burgh to ramp up the phys- in December. She was in-
Wednesday after being ical play going forward. jured during an attack at
her home in the Czech Re-
public. She said last month
that she was signing up for
In this Oct. 4, 2016, file
photo, Petra Kvitova, of the the French Open, which
Czech Republic, watches begins May 28, in hopes
her shot during her wom- of competing. But she
en’s singles match against wasn’t sure whether she
Wang Yafan of China at the would be ready. Kvitova
China Open tennis tourna- was the Wimbledon cham-
ment in Beijing.
Associated Press pion in 2011 and 2014. She
climbed as high as No. 2 in
budgetaruba@setarnet.aw the WTA rankings.q