Penguins center and captain Sidney Crosby skated before the team's practice yesterday for the second day in a row but has been ruled out for tonight's game against New Jersey.

Crosby and the team decided March 14 that he should rest his sore right ankle for a week in the hope that he will be better for the start of the playoffs. That week was up yesterday.

He missed 21 games because of a high ankle sprain, returned for three games, but pulled back after experiencing swelling and pain.

His next chance to play comes Monday on the road against the New York Islanders.

A better indication of Crosby's status could come today.

Winger Georges Laraque is eligible to return tonight after serving a three-game suspension for an elbow that knocked Buffalo's Nathan Paetsch unconscious.

"It's been three games, a week," Laraque said. "It feels like it's been a long time. It's frustrating, but at least we won two games of the three."

ESPN had a little fun with winger Jarkko Ruutu's dribbling act Thursday against Tampa Bay, when he got the puck in the neutral zone but lost his stick, so he controlled it with his skates as he moved down the left side and eventually set up teammate Max Talbot with a kick-pass, although Talbot did not score.

During its highlights of the game, ESPN superimposed a soccer ball over the puck.

Told about it, Ruutu laughed.

"I played some soccer, for a little over 10 years," he said.

The play -- which came after he got a gash and a fat lip from Lightning defenseman Dan Boyle's stick as he scored a goal -- netted him some messages from friends.

"I got some from back home saying I was the highlight of the week on [the international feed from] CNN," said Ruutu, who is from Finland.

Pascal Dupuis, acquired nearly a month ago from Atlanta, never had assists in more than two games in a row through his first 427 NHL games.

Now he has a four-game streak with a total of seven assists.

"I usually get streaky with goals, not assists," said Dupuis. "It's a good stat, I guess."

He has one goal, nine points in 10 games since the trade, giving him a total this season of 11 goals, 24 points. It helps that he has been playing left wing with center Jordan Staal and right winger Marian Hossa.

"I'm playing with good players who put it in," he said. "That makes it easier on me.

"You look at last year, I had 14 goals and five assists [in 71 games with three teams]. It's just that guys are putting it in right now."

Dupuis' assist streak is in danger because at any moment he could be called to Atlanta, where his wife, Carole-Lyne, is due to deliver their third child, a boy.

Winger Gary Roberts, who is recovering from leg and ankle injuries, did not practice. ... Coach Michel Therrien said defenseman Rob Scuderi won't return tonight, although Scuderi continues to practice and said his surgically repaired left little finger is sound. "I think I'm ready to play, but it's up to the coaches and trainers," said Scuderi, who will miss his 11th game in a row. ... Forward Kris Beech had the cast removed from his broken wrist but is not ready to practice.