Fleury, Cole hope to return Saturday vs. Isles

CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Marc-Andre Fleury and Ian Cole both expressed hope that they could rejoin the Penguins for the next game, Saturday against the Islanders, though Mike Sullivan wouldn't confirm that either will do so.

Fleury, Cole and fringe winger Scott Wilson were the lone participants in a highly optional practice Friday at the Lemieux Sports Complex, this only a few hours after the 5-2 victory the previous night in Detroit.

Fleury hasn't played since Dec. 14 because of a concussion, but he's been on the ice all week and is now a full participant in practice. Matt Murray and Jeff Zatkoff have performed mostly well in his stead, but Fleury told me after this practice he's "feeling great, fine" and is ready to return once called upon.



Whenever Fleury returns, it's highly likely Murray will be returned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL, as Jim Rutherford told our Josh Yohe in Detroit.

Cole missed the final two periods in Detroit with an undisclosed issue. He declined to elaborate on it Friday, but he did use the term 'protocol,' which almost invariably is a reference to following the NHL's concussion protocol. He also described himself as having been 'banged up.' But he, like Fleury, will await clearance from the Penguins' medical team and coaches for the next step.

Olli Maatta also left the ice early in Detroit, with a minute left in regulation, but Sullivan reaffirmed that Maatta was 'fine.'

Sullivan held a 10-minute -- and very much upbeat -- session with reporters after practice, most of it focused on the Penguins' improvement in puck management.

I asked the coach if he risks going too far in preaching caution with a roster built around a highly skilled core, and his answer didn't exactly disappoint: