Pens Points: Time to Answer Back

A late comeback by the Penguins on Monday night sent Game 3 into overtime but the Capitals were able to find a power play winner in overtime to prevent falling into a 3-0 hole in the series. Game 4 goes tonight and the Pens will look to rebound and push the Capitals to the brink. Puck drop is set for 7:30 and will be broadcast on NBCSN.

If the Pens are to win and put the Capitals on the brink of elimination they will have to do it without captain Sidney Crosby and forward Conor Sheary. Both Crosby and Sheary have been ruled out of Game 4 after sustaining concussions in Game 3. [Penguins]

With Crosby and Sheary on the shelf for at least one night, the Pens called up their replacements in the form of Josh Archibald and Oskar Sundqvist. It remains unclear at this time how exactly the Pens will replace Crosby and Sheary in the lineup but we should have a better idea after the morning skate. [Penguins]

One small silver lining to take away from the Crosby injury is the Pens are lucky enough to have a second superstar to rely on. While Sid recovers, the burden will fall on the shoulders of Evgeni Malkin to pick up the slack and play his best hockey when the teams needs it most. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

In a shocking news, the NHL Department of Player Safety has decided not to further punish Captials defenseman Matt Niskanen for his two handed cross check to the head of Sidney Crosby in Game 3. [Puck Daddy]

Just because the Pens will be without Crosby for one game and maybe longer is no reason to start dreading the worst. They still have the tools in the shed to knock off the top seeded Capitals. [Fox Sports]

However, if Crosby does miss the rest of the series it could just as easily spell doom for the defending champs and their effort to repeat. [FiveThirtyEight]

Crosby will undoubtedly go down as the greatest player of his generation but his career story cannot be told without mentioning his history of concussions and what it will have cost him. [AP]

A day after being named a finalist for the Hart Trophy, Crosby was named a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award along with Connor McDavid and Brent Burns. [Sportsnet]

News and notes from around the NHL...

Continuing with the theme of concussions, the NHL is beginning to point fingers at the NHLPA in their defense in the concussion lawsuit they are currently facing in court. [TSN]

One year after coming over from the KHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs rewarded defenseman Nikita Zaitsev with a seven year contract. [Puck Daddy]