The Pittsburgh Penguins got some tough news Tuesday when Evgeni Malkin was ruled out with an upper-body injury just minutes before their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The timing couldn’t be worse for the Pens, who are fighting for their playoff lives.
Cody Glass will step up to center the second line, while Jesse Puljujarvi gets his first shot in the lineup after sitting out the past month as a healthy scratch.
It’s been quite a while since the Penguins had to worry about Malkin’s health. The 38-year-old Russian star hasn’t missed a single game in the last two seasons, playing all 82 games both years.
While he’s not putting up the huge numbers we’ve seen in the past – just 8 goals and 24 assists in 41 games this season – Malkin’s still been a solid presence as the team’s second-line center.
What’s weird is that Malkin was on the ice for Tuesday’s morning skate. No one’s quite sure when he got hurt or what happened. His last game was Sunday against Carolina, where he played nearly 18 minutes but didn’t score.
The injury is especially frustrating because Malkin’s actually improved his defensive game this year. Though he’s still having some trouble with turnovers – he’s not quite as quick as he used to be, which sometimes leads to forced plays and giveaways.
The Penguins have been pretty lucky to have both Malkin and Sidney Crosby healthy and in the lineup for the past two-and-a-half seasons. But even with their two stars playing, they’ve missed the playoffs two years running.
Right now, Pittsburgh’s tied for the last wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They really need to beat teams like Columbus if they want to snap that playoff drought.
The team’s calling it a day-to-day injury, so fans are hoping Malkin won’t be out too long.
