Penguins, buoyed by return of Sidney Crosby, visit Hurricanes

The Pittsburgh Penguins are coming off what might be their most impressive result of the season, and they'll get captain Sidney Crosby back to boot.

Two nights after beating the team with the best record in the NHL, the Penguins will try to conquer a team tied for the most points in the Eastern Conference.

Pittsburgh opposes the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night in Raleigh, N.C. -- the same spot where the Penguins began a five-game road trip last week.

On Wednesday, the Penguins will see the return of Crosby from an 11-game absence.

Crosby, 38, was expected to be sidelined for at least four weeks after sustaining a lower-body injury during Canada's 4-3 overtime win against Czechia in the quarterfinals at the 2026 Winter Olympics on Feb. 18. Wednesday marks exactly four weeks from that day.

"Excited to get back in it," Crosby said after the morning skate on Wednesday. "Just watching these guys and being on the trip, obviously getting closer. ... Just happy to finally be back in there."

The Penguins posted a 5-3-3 record in the absence of Crosby, who leads the team in goals (27) and points (59).

As for the Hurricanes, they matched their most lopsided losses of the season when they fell 5-1 on to the host Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.

"This was not a game we played well," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour said. "Throw it away and come back (Wednesday)."

Pittsburgh downed the Colorado Avalanche 7-2 on Monday in Denver, matching its highest goal total and largest victory margin of the season.

"I think the guys should take some confidence from it," Penguins coach Dan Muse said. "Not just in one area, but a lot of different areas."

The Monday outing marked Evgeni Malkin's first contest back in the Pittsburgh lineup after a five-game suspension. He scored two goals and added an assist.

"I look forward to the future," Malkin said. "I just want to play."

Muse said Malkin's return gave the Penguins a boost, something they hope to benefit from as the schedule continues.

"It wasn't a surprise," Muse said of Malkin's impact. "He is just somebody who loves the game and is a competitor."

Malkin didn't play in last week's game vs. Carolina, which won 5-4 in a shootout after the Penguins scored twice in the final 2 1/2 minutes of regulation to extend the game.

The Hurricanes are atop the Metropolitan Division, with the Penguins holding second place, seven points back. Pittsburgh is 2-1-1 on the trip.

Carolina's loss in Columbus leaves the Hurricanes 1-2-0 since the victory over Pittsburgh. It has been 2 1/2 months since the Hurricanes went consecutive games without earning a point, so they will look to keep that trend intact on Wednesday.

The Hurricanes are bound to turn to Frederik Andersen in goal as it's his turn in the goalie rotation.

There also likely will be at least some lineup adjustment for Carolina after Nicolas Deslauriers made his team debut on Tuesday. His inclusion made Eric Robinson a healthy scratch.

"Somebody has got to come out that we don't really want to take out," Brind'Amour said of the lineup. "It's best for the group to get everybody up to speed as best we can."

Andrei Svechnikov has a goal in back-to-back games and in three of the past five games for the Hurricanes.

Center Blake Lizotte has been in and out of the Pittsburgh lineup with injuries, missing the Monday game. He will miss at least the next month due to an upper-body ailment, the team announced on Tuesday.

It's a brief stopover at home for the Hurricanes, who will be back on the road for their next three games.

Also on Wednesday, Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis received a $5,000 fine for high-sticking Blue Jackets forward Conor Garland on Tuesday night.

The incident occurred at the 2:02 mark of the third period with the Hurricanes trailing by three goals in an eventual 5-1 loss in Columbus, Ohio.

The fine announced by the NHL Player Safety department is the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement.

--Field Level Media