Crosby returns to Penguins practice

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby returned to practice Monday, but there is still no timetable for when the former MVP will return from a neck injury. The 24-year-old skated with his teammates in Montreal for the first time since being forced out of the lineup in early December following a brief return. He has been skating on his own in recent weeks. Last Tuesday, the Penguins announced Crosby had suffered a treatable soft-tissue injury in his neck that was causing neurological symptoms similar to a concussion. Over the past week Crosby has been undergoing massages and other therapy. The injury is causing swelling in the star forward's top two vertebrae. Crosby has played just eight games since suffering a concussion in Jan. 2011. After a prolonged recovery, the 2009 Stanley Cup champion finally returned to the lineup Nov. 21, tallying two goals and 10 assists in eight games. But Crosby was forced back to the sidelines after reporting that he was again suffering symptoms thought at the time to be concussion-related. The Penguins are sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings, seven points behind the first-place New York Rangers.