Crosby skated with his teammates Thursday morning in preparation for that night's game with the New York Rangers, who are atop the Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division — six points ahead of the Penguins. The Pittsburgh captain has been limited to eight games this season because of a recurrence of concussion symptoms that cut his season way short a year ago.
Crosby has been out since Dec. 5, missing 40 games this season.
"I don't expect to get hit more than I did prior," Crosby said. "I feel like I was always kind of tested physically before I had a concussion, so I don't expect it to be any different."
He also doesn't figure to go at half-speed or try to avoid contact. Crosby isn't looking to have his ice time reduced too much, and he doesn't want to miss any of Pittsburgh's final 14 games as the Penguins try to catch the Rangers.
"You've got to play the same way, whether you've gone through this before or you didn't," the 24-year-old team said. "The more you hesitate in a game, the more your chance of getting hit. Your focus isn't there. When you hesitate, usually you're in trouble. That's why you practice hard and test yourself and make sure you're ready. I'm more than confident in that."
Crosby made quite a splash in his season debut Nov. 21 when he had two goals — including the game-winner — and added two assists in the Penguins' 5-0 home victory over the New York Islanders. He had 10 points in eight games and recorded at least one point in five contests before getting hurt again.
"Tonight and moving forward, I don't expect to be where I was 14 months ago," Crosby said. "I expect to be a pretty good hockey player, do things and contribute, get a better idea of where I'm at once I start playing games. I'm not going out there just trying to kill time."
He is jumping right into a stretch in which the Penguins will visit three consecutive division rivals — the Rangers, New Jersey and Philadelphia — in a span of four days.
And the Penguins are getting healthy at just the right time. Defenseman Kris Letang also is returning Thursday following a five-game absence because of concussion symptoms. Letang sat out 21 games earlier this season because of a concussion sustained Nov. 26 at Montreal.
"They've got a really good team, no doubt about that," Rangers forward Brandon Dubinsky said. "They are dangerous, but at the same time we're a really good team, too. This is definitely going to be an intense game right from the get-go as they all are against the Penguins, no matter who is playing.
"We're not thinking about who is in their lineup or who is not in their lineup because they are a dangerous team either way."
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