Malkin Continuing To Be Evaluated

Evgeni Malkin continues to be evaluated for a lower-body injury suffered on Tuesday, March 16 against Boston. He was placed on injured reserve retroactive to that date before Pittsburgh's game against New Jersey on Thursday, March 18.

"We hope to have more definitive information over the next day or so," head coach Mike Sullivan said in his pregame media availability session. "I'll update you when I get it. I'd rather not get into the details of the evaluation process. When we get more definitive information, we'll update you."

Malkin, 34, was hurt in the first period against Boston when he collided with Bruins defenseman Jarrod Tinordi in the corner of the offensive zone.
Malkin was slow to get up, but finished his shift. After talking with head athletic trainer Chris Stewart on the bench, Malkin headed to the locker room. He returned briefly for one shift on the power play, but then went back to the dressing room and did not return the rest of the night.
It's a tough break for Malkin, who entered that game on an eight-game point streak and had been
playing absolutely dominant hockey
as of late, finding chemistry alongside Kasperi Kapanen.
"I thought me and G were really heating up there," Kapanen said. "That's hockey, right? Stuff happens. There are a lot of injuries, and lines are juggled throughout the year. He's been playing really well. He's feeling himself. We're going to miss him out there."
The Penguins' center depth is certainly being tested right now. While they are fortunate to have Sidney Crosby leading the group, Teddy Blueger is out longer-term with an upper-body injury and Jared McCann - who is capable of playing the middle - was a full participant in morning skate but will miss his sixth straight game with an upper-body injury.
But as Sullivan said, they feel like they have enough capable players to win games consistently, and that's what the expectation will continue to be despite missing key personnel.
"We just got to bring a hard team game with the resilience that's necessary to win in this league," Sullivan said. "Injuries are just a part of our game. For me, it's all about an attitude and making sure that we look at this as an opportunity. Making sure that that we play together and we have a collective effort out there."
Versatile forward Evan Rodrigues had been playing left wing on a line with Malkin and Kapanen. After Malkin left Tuesday's game, Rodrigues slotted over into his spot with Brandon Tanev and Kapanen on his wings. They clicked right away, connecting for a goal from Tanev.
"I think I've built some chemistry with E-Rod now, and having Tans there last game was a good addition," Kapanen said. "He works really hard, he gets pucks back and he's just really ferocious out there, so it's pretty good line."
In the bottom-six, the Pens have a few options for the fourth-line center position behind Mark Jankowski. Sam Lafferty started in that spot last game, while Frederick Gaudreau and Radim Zohorna could also fit that role.
Gaudreau, 27, has spent the first half of the season split between Pittsburgh's taxi squad and WBS. He's suited up for six games with WBS, registering one goal, three assists, four points and a plus-3. The forward has appeared in 84 career NHL games, all with Nashville, and played against the Penguins in the 2017 Stanley Cup Final.
The Penguins signed Gaudreau in the offseason because they were looking for depth players with NHL experience who could step into the lineup and make a positive impact when called upon.
"Freddie was a guy that that our hockey operations department identified that could check those boxes," Sullivan said. "An important aspect when you're talking about depth players is just versatility and the ability to play multiple positions or multiple roles, whether it be on a second power play or helping us on the penalty kill or different situations where we have certain needs based on based on where our team is at. Freddie is a guy that that brings all of those things to the table."
Zohorna, 24, is in his first season in North America after playing the last six years in the Czech Republic's top professional league. He has a team-high nine points (3G-6A) in 11 games for WBS. Sullivan called the 6-foot-6, 233-pound forward a "real interesting player for us" because they like his skillset.
"He's played really well in Wilkes to this point," Sullivan said. "We think he's adjusting to the North American game. He's earned the opportunity to be here in Pittsburgh and we'll see where it takes us."
Meanwhile, on the blue line, John Marino will be a game-time decision after missing the last four games with an upper-body injury.
"We'll see how I feel in a little bit, but I feel a lot better for sure," the 23-year-old defenseman said.