TAMPA, Fla. -- Usually, when an NHL team is less than forthcoming
about a player's injury, it is because they are in the playoffs, or
fighting for the playoffs, and don't want to give opponents anything
that can be used against them. The Penguins aren't in that position,
but the only information coach Michel Therrien would offer about the
injury that kept Sidney Crosby out of most of the second period of
Saturday's 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning was that it was a
"lower body injury."

Crosby played two shifts at the start of the second period for a total
of 1:33 before heading to the dressing room. He missed the rest of the
period but returned for a Penguins power play five minutes into the
third.

"He came to see us after the second period and felt that he could try
on the power play," Therrien said. "We played him on the power play."

Crosby played about six minutes in the third period -- four of which
were on the power play.

Therrien wouldn't say exactly when the injury occurred or what
happened, but that it wasn't major.

"It's day-to-day," Therrien said. "He'll be evaluated (today)."

Crosby, who has 91 points, was uncharacteristically missing from his
locker stall after the game.

Sometime later, he emerged and appeared to be in good spirits and
walking normally.

But he also declined to give specifics. Crosby, who has missed only
one game this year with the flu, did say the injury wasn't caused by
another player and that it didn't involve a collision.

"I'm going to try and get through it and do whatever I need to do to
get through it," said Crosby, adding that he hopes he won't miss any
of the Penguins' five remaining games. "I think it's pretty hard to
say right now if it will affect anything. It's the kind of thing that
the doctors said will probably feel worse the next day." Crosby's
absence was felt on the ice, as the Penguins were shut out for the
fifth time this season.

"He's our best player on our team," linemate Colby Armstrong said.
"Any time your best player isn't around to help out, it makes it
tough. I think we still had some chances after that and still made
some things happen. It would have definitely helped out if he had been
there, though."

The only goal scored was by Lightning forward Vincent Lecavalier just
51 seconds into the second period. He and Ryan Malone were battling
down low in the Penguins' end when Lecavalier got away long enough to
skate to the slot. He got the puck from Vaclav Prospal and spun around
for a shot off the backhand for his 35th goal of the season.

"It was a great play by Prospal," Lecavalier said. "He went behind the
net, and that's where he makes all his best passes. I just went there,
and I knew I couldn't get a forehand shot. So, I went on my backhand,
and it went in. I guess I got pretty lucky, but it was a great pass by
Vinny Prospal."

The Penguins were coming off a 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers the
night before in which they scored two shorthanded goals and two on the
power play. They weren't nearly as successful scoring on special teams
last night, going 0 for 3 on the power play, but they did kill all six
penalties, including 37 seconds of a two-man advantage late in the game.

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 24 saves, while Sean Burke made 25
for the Lightning, who are in eighth place in the Eastern Conference
and looking to secure a playoff spot.

The Penguins are off today before traveling to Philadelphia on Monday
afternoon for a game Tuesday.