Malkin could return for Penguins against Capitals in Game 2

WASHINGTON -- Evgeni Malkin practiced with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday and will be a game-time decision against the Washington Capitals in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Second Round on Sunday (3 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, TVAS).
The center sustained a lower-body injury in a collision with Philadelphia Flyers forward Jori Lehtera, who fell on Malkin's left leg, in Game 5 of the first round. Malkin had five points (three goals, two assists) in five games against the Flyers and missed the deciding game of that series and Game 1 of this one, which Pittsburgh won 4-3.

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"I feel so much better and we'll see what I feel tonight overnight," Malkin said after his first practice since the injury. "I [did] not skate for a week. It's hard to feel right now. It's a little bit hard right now. My breathing is so hard. But I need to work a little bit more and help the team."
Malkin skated on the fourth line with Zach Aston-Reese and Tom Kuhnhackl at practice but Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said if Malkin does play, he won't be on the fourth line and won't be limited.
"If we choose to put [Malkin] in the lineup tomorrow, he's going to play," Sullivan said. "We're going to put him in a position to play and to play to his strengths and to be successful."
Malkin said he wants to return but isn't rushing back.

"I hope the power play will score," he said. "I'll try to be better with my linemates. I'll try to do my best, but it doesn't matter how the game is going. Like last game, we were losing 2-0 and we win 3-2. They were able to win without me. We played a great team. If I'm in tomorrow, I'll do my best."
Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby said, "[Malkin would] definitely give us a big boost. I don't think you really replace a guy like that. He looked good out there and happy to see him with us out there today."
The Penguins came back to defeat the Capitals in Game 1 without Malkin and forward Carl Hagelin, who sustained an upper-body injury in Game 6 against the Flyers. Hagelin did not practice Saturday and could miss his second straight game.
"We've been through so much lately," Pittsburgh right wing Patric Hornqvist said. "Last year we lose our best defensemen [Kris Letang] in the playoffs, and the year before that we lost a few big guys too. And the regular season too. We have a deep bench. We need everybody to be on top of their game the next few games to be successful."