The Pittsburgh Penguins got a huge boost at practice on Friday after dropping a heartbreaking overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues the night before.
Evgeni Malkin joined his teammates on the ice and participated fully in all the drills. Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan confirmed that Malkin was cleared for full contact and would be a game-time decision for Saturday’s matchup against the Dallas Stars.
Malkin has been sidelined for the past 12 days with an upper-body injury and has missed the last four Penguins games. His production has slipped this season compared to the usual numbers the three-time Stanley Cup champion puts up. Malkin has 46 points, including 15 goals, in 62 games. Extending his string of 15 seasons with at least a point per game is in jeopardy unless he can somehow record 22 points in the Penguins’ final six games of the regular season.
“He puts a lot of pressure on himself to produce offensively for our team. And when he struggles in that regard, it affects his confidence,” Sullivan told reporters last week regarding Malkin’s production. “As talented as he is, one would think that those guys never suffer challenges with confidence, but they’re human. And when it doesn’t go the right way, I think Geno is one of those guys. When it goes the right way, it’s the opposite, and that’s when he’s feeling good, and he’s confident, and he’s satisfied with his overall game.”
If Malkin is unable to go on Saturday, he could return to the lineup when the Penguins battle the Blackhawks at the United Center on Sunday before returning home Tuesday for the second game of the home-and-home series with Chicago.
Story continues below advertisement
More Penguins: Watch Penguins’ Rutger McGroarty Score Electric First NHL Goal
Featured image via Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images