Penguins' Sidney Crosby: Stays off ice Thursday

Crosby (concussion) didn't skate Thursday due to a scheduled day off, coach Mike Sullivan said. "He's gone a bunch of days in a row here. We'll see how he responds. We have been encouraged with his progress and hoping he'll take the next step soon."

Analysis:

Friday will mark two weeks since Crosby got "tangled up" during practice. His fantasy owners have to hope his star center's absence from the ice Thursday is nothing more than a day off, but we won't know for sure until Friday. The Penguins have little to gain by rushing Crosby back and seeing their captain potentially suffer a second concussion in a short period of time.