Sidney Crosby skates again before Pittsburgh Penguins game

PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Sidney Crosby was back on the ice Sunday morning for a skate with a handful of teammates.

The Pittsburgh Penguins captain spent about 45 minutes on the ice at Consol Energy Center, according to the team's website. Crosby is still working his way back from a concussion and hasn't been cleared to participate in full practices yet.

"That conversation has not been broached and I don't have expectations for it right now," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma told reporters before a 2-1 shootout win over Florida. "Obviously, I'm encouraged to watch him on the ice and watch him skate and go through the paces that he's going through, so those are encouraging signs to see him to be able to do that."

Crosby last played on Jan. 5, when he was hit hard into the boards by Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Victor Hedman. He returned to the ice for the first time on March 14 and has been skating frequently since then.

As a result, there has been some speculation he is nearing a return. Bylsma downplayed that talk.

"Sid's been around a lot for three weeks, four weeks, being a part of it," he said. "He's in every day, he's talking to our players. He's been with our team for a while now.

"Again, there's been no expectations talked about, there's been no timetable talked about when it's possible for him to even return with the team. Whatever optimism (there) is, I think it's maybe been created by the buzz by the media."

The Penguins are 19-11-5 without Crosby in the lineup.