from the paper this morn
The NHL's mumps epidemic has spread to its top star, Sidney Crosby.
The Pittsburgh Penguins announced Crosby's diagnosis over the weekend and will be without the two-time MVP Monday night when they seek to continue their dominance of the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning.
Crosby missed Pittsburgh's last two games with illness and face-swelling that the team believed was related to a salivary gland injury Crosby sustained on Nov. 29. He is currently in isolation but should be through the infectious stage by Monday.
Crosby's illness is the latest in an outbreak of mumps cases across the NHL, with players from Anaheim, New Jersey, Minnesota and the New York Rangers among those affected. It is also the latest in a string of ailments for the Penguins, who entered Monday already without forwards Pascal Dupuis (blood clots), Beau Bennett (lower body) and Chris Kunitz (broken foot) and defenseman Olli Maatta (undisclosed injury).
"You sympathize with the players," Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said. "They work hard to be ready to play and play a full season and then they run into injuries and in our case, we're going through a period here that is pretty rough.
"It's a period that builds character and if you can get through it, it's going to help you in the long run. But certainly it's hard."
The Penguins (19-6-4) have managed to stay atop the Eastern Conference despite their depleted roster. Without Crosby on Friday, Pittsburgh topped Calgary 3-1, then fell to Columbus 4-3 in a shootout on Saturday.
Matchups with the Lightning have done little to slow the Penguins in recent years. Pittsburgh has won nine straight in the series since a 4-1 loss on Nov. 17, 2011. Evgeni Malkin has been a key figure in that success, tallying 12 goals and nine assists during an eight-game point streak against Tampa Bay.
Blake Comeau has played well in Crosby's absence, scoring both Friday and Saturday. He ranks third on the team with 10 goals after he had five in 61 games with Columbus last season.
"With the injuries that we've had, guys have done a great job of coming up and playing minutes for us," Comeau said. "We're going to need guys to step up as the season goes on."
Tampa Bay (19-9-3) sits just one point behind Pittsburgh for the top spot in the East, but the Lightning too have endured a trying stretch lately. They fell 4-2 to Washington on Saturday, marking their third loss in four games.
Steven Stamkos notched his 17th assist and team-best 34th point in the loss. He ranks among the league leaders in scoring along with Crosby (35 points) and Malkin (36).
Stamkos, however, failed to find any success on the power play Saturday, a fact he took issue with following the game.
'We're trying to be too cute, I think,' Stamkos said of the Lightning power play, which went 0 for 4. 'We have to find a way to be better. I think that cost us at least some momentum in the game.'
Tampa Bay sits near the top of the NHL with 23 power-play goals, but has converted on just two of 19 opportunities over its last six games. The Lightning are 16-0-1 this season when they score on the man advantage.
Ben Bishop will likely start in net for Tampa Bay, looking to end a personal three-game losing streak during which he's posted a 3.44 goals-against average.
Marc-Andre Fleury, who is 7-1-2 with a 2.04 GAA in his last 10 starts, figures to get the nod for the Penguins. He's won six consecutive starts against the Lightning.