NHL

Prior to missing Game 3 against Ottawa, Vitale had skated in Pittsburgh's previous four contests. Depending on how Tuesday's skate goes, he might be ready to return for Game 4 on Wednesday night.

He has been scratched for the past five playoff games, but it's unclear if he is feeling 100 percent healthy. "He's a guy who has played big games," coach Dan Bylsma said Monday. "It's tough having him not in there with our lineup. But we haven't decided on our lineup for Game 4 yet."

He picked up the only assist on Tyler Kennedy's second marker of the postseason. His contributions on offense have obviously been lacking, but his overall game hasn't gone unnoticed by his teammates or the coaching staff. "He's pretty unbelievable right now," Kennedy said. "Cookie's always a good player, but he's really getting it done right now. He's a great leader, too." Cooke tied Craig Adams with a team-high six hits in Game 3 and he has racked up a total of 39 in nine playoff outings. He's also played great defensively.

He wasn't able to register a point in the contest. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang had a busy night as well with seven shots on goal, but he didn't get onto the scoresheet either as Ottawa goaltender Craig Anderson shut the door in a 2-1 victory. They'll try to get Pittsburgh's offense rolling again on Wednesday night in Game 4.

"It's not to say I didn't enjoy it back then," he said referring to his leadership role with the Calgary Flames. "I'm just enjoying what comes. Playing. When you're captain, there's more responsibility. You're thinking 'How's this guy feeling?', 'Where's the coach at?' Most of my focus is on just playing now, on myself, on being ready. And, yeah, that is a nice change." He's still thrilled to be back in the playoffs, where he has 10 points in nine games, and said he has no plans to retire in the off-season. Iginla is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this July if an extension isn't reached with the Penguins.

"That's me," he said, smiling. "All me. I'd love to be able to say [the protective bar is an issue]. I was trying to figure out why everyone kept asking me about that. Guess I know now." Heading into Game 3 Sunday night, Crosby had won 71 of his 82 draws for a success rate of 46.4 percent. He was better on Sunday though, winning 51.16 of his faceoffs. Crosby said he was told to expect "three or four" more medical procedures once his off-season begins to fix up his jaw and mouth.

He dressed in the first four games of the Penguins' opening-round series against the New York Islanders after taking a leg-on-leg hit in Game 1. The team has a policy for the playoffs where they don't address injuries or lineups, so Jokinen's status is cloudy even though he may just be the odd man out right now.