CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Sidney Crosby's job is to score goals, and it's Matt Murray's job to prevent them. They are neither lawyers nor jurors. It's not in their contracts to save the game of hockey from Tom Wilson or anyone else.
At least, that was the talking point coming out of the Penguins' locker room at the Lemieux Sports Complex on this Wednesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after Wilson's hit left teammate Zach Aston-Reese concussed and with a broken jaw in a 4-1 loss to the Capitals in Game 3.
"My job is to play," Crosby said. "I’m focused on playing."
"I don’t think we’re really putting much importance on any of that. That’s all you doing that," Murray said to reporters. "We're just playing hockey. You just don’t want to see guys get hurt out there."
But Aston-Reese is hurt and, this time, the NHL was looking into Wilson's questionable hit in Game 3. The Department of Player Safety announced on Wednesday that it will hold a hearing for Wilson, who took out Aston-Reese with a hit to the head with 10:09 left in the second period on Tuesday:
It will be a phone hearing, meaning that any suspension to Wilson will be less than five games. That would be five more games than he received for a similar hit to the head of Brian Dumoulin in Game 2 on Sunday.
"The league hires people to do that job," said Kris Letang of doling out punishment. "We’re just out there to play hockey to try and win games."
• The Penguins held a short optional practice. Carl Hagelin, out since Game 6 against Philadelphia, was among those skating. He would seem likely to draw back in the lineup for tomorrow night's Game 4 at PPG Paints Arena. Hagelin wore a full-contact jersey but did not take any contact. As expected, he's a game-time decision.
"I just go out there every day and take it day by day," said Hagelin, who has been out of the lineup while his wife just gave birth to the couple's first child.
• Murray's left catching hand has been a point of consternation in Pittsburgh, but the goalie says he's feeling good. He admitted, though, he could have been better in Game 3 after allowing four goals on 22 shots, including three on the first 15.
"I felt real good first two games, shaky last night," he said. "But one save could have got the job done there at the end. Still right there, feel pretty good overall."
• After going 0 for 5 against the Capitals in the first two games, the Penguins' power play finally cashed in Tuesday. It was not a coincidence that it finally came with Evgeni Malkin back in the lineup. They went 1 for 4, on seven shots, with Patric Hornqvist scoring at the 6:49 mark of the second period.
"I think we moved it quicker," said Letang. "Obviously having Geno there is a threat. He’s dangerous, plays with a lot of skill and has a good shot. They might have paid attention to him, too, but I think we all simplified things: Shot the puck and got rewarded."
• Those not skating included Malkin, Chad Ruhwedel, Olli Maatta, Jamie Oleksiak, Riley Sheahan, Bryan Rust, Derick Brassard, Jake Guentzel and Phil Kessel.