Pittsburgh Penguins centre Sidney Crosby was scratched after taking the warm-up prior to Saturday's game against the Boston Bruins.

Craig Adams took Crosby's spot in the lineup after the Penguins received referee approval for the change.

Under NHL Rule 7.1, the referee must approve all changes once both teams have submitted their line-ups for the game.

After the game, Penguins coach Mike Johnston addressed Crosby's absence.

“I was told that Sid was seeing the doctors and wasn’t feeling well after warmups," he said in his post-game media availability.

He clarified that Crosby's absence was not related to any incidents that occurred during warm-ups.