Noon Player Notes (Nov 15)

The Pittsburgh Penguins coaching staff confirmed on Thursday morning that forward Sidney Crosby won't be suiting up for tonight's game, at home to the Lightning, due to an upper-body injury. Not much detail was released on the nature of the injury, but the coaches did confirm that the injury is not of the concussion nature.  The timeline for his return wasn't confirmed, but it was thought that it could be a week and if he is placed on the Injured Reserve, that would definitely salt it away.  As of right now, he hasn't been listed there, so he'll be day-to-day for the time being.

Eric's 16th place team is one of the five teams opening play up tonight in the Basement Dweller traffic jam with 4 points, so far, and losing Crosby to injury, likely for the rest of the week, could really help his chances of earning that dubious distinction.

Philadelphia Flyers forward James Van Riemsdyk has been given the green light to play on Thursday night, when the Flyers host the Devils, after missing 16 games with a lower-body injury.  The power forward only managed to play in a game and a little bit before suffering the injury, making his return to the team that originally drafted him into a bit of an anti-climactic event.  His return should surely spark the team's scoring depth, which has taken a backseat to the top line and is in need of a good boost.

Just when things were looking bleak for Eric, he gets a player back at the same time that one goes out of the lineup.  Van Riemsdyk is no Crosby, but getting some help back certainly won't hurt his chances at getting out of the basement now.

It sounds like the flu bug is running rampant in the Columbus Blue Jackets' locker room and it has claimed a couple of their biggest names for tonight's game against the Florida Panthers.  Sergei Bobrovsky will be sitting tonight, missing out on a start tonight, as well as forward Artemi Panarin, both are considered to be day-to-day.  The Jackets will hopefully have both back in the lineup on Saturday, when the travel to Carolina, but that won't be confirmed until game day, in all likelihood.

Kristy & Don were likely looking forward to a start tonight in this game, but their 4th place team will be without tonight, while Benson's team continues to sink like a stone, now sitting in 20th, after two straight weeks to start the season in top spot.