Malkin gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead with a snap shot from the high slot on a power play at 8:41. He has scored 10 points (four goals, six assists) in nine games since returning Jan. 11 from offseason knee surgery.
The Penguins scored 24 goals in their previous five games. They hadn't scored fewer than two since Dec. 11, a 1-0 win against the Anaheim Ducks.
"It was kind of a weird game," Penguins forward Brian Boyle said. "It was a tight, checking game. You kind of have to embrace that grind. Try not to take chances and go zone to zone. I think when we did that, we got some territory."
The Kraken did not have a shot on goal for 16:57 until a snap shot by McCann at 10:08 of the second period. They were outshot 9-2 in the period.
"We had so many shot opportunities and they blocked a couple," Grubauer said. "Three or four get through, we're not walking away with two shots. We're walking away with six or seven. You have to stay patient.
"I think that's the main goal here. Be comfortable in 1-0, 1-1 games. Don't get impatient and start running around. It's going to come no matter what."
NOTES: Seattle, in its inaugural NHL season, played its sixth overtime game. It won once in a shootout, lost once in a shootout, and lost three in overtime. ... McCann did not score a point in a 6-1 loss to Pittsburgh at Seattle on Dec. 6. ... Seattle forward Colin Blackwell had three hits and one block in 9:51 of ice time during his 100th NHL game. ... Malkin has scored seven points (two goals, five assists) on a six-game point streak. Pittsburgh is 7-1-1 since he returned. ... Penguins forward Sidney Crosby, who is three goals from 500 in the NHL, did not have a point for the second time in seven games (10 points; six goals, four assists).