C EVGENI MALKIN will not play tonight at Columbus, missing his second game of the season.
Malkin, who practiced this morning at Nationwide Arena, continues to be bothered by a sore knee. He has worn a brace on that knee for about a month, and that injury is believed to the one re-aggravated on Thursday night during a home win against Atlanta.
Malkin has scored eight goals and is third among all Penguins with 22 points. He has not recorded a point in three games and has scored only one goal since netting a hat trick on Nov. 13 at Atlanta.
Coach DAN BYLSMAhad this to say about how he handles Malkin during times of struggle:
“It depends on what part of his game needs it. Offensively, he is more of a guy who needs a pat (on the shoulder)… defensively, you need to be right on top of him. It depends on the situation.”
Malkin does not speak after practices on game days. However, he has not been a regular for off-day practices during this period of the knee injury.
C MAX TALBOT will play tonight for the Penguins. Talbot’s left foot is bruised after he absorbed a shot from LW MATT COOKE during a deflection drill on Friday.
–ROSSI
Hey Rob, who makes the call on decisions like this, the coach or the player? Is it fair to say that under Therrien, Malkin would be playing tonight? Not saying it would be the right call, since us fans don’t know the details of this injury.
given that Malkin was on the ice prior to the game tossing pucks with Marc Andre Fleury..it is not much of a stretch to conclude that this was in part a message sending/benching for his poor puck management..i.e. Bylsma speak for TURNOVERS/Genovers/whatever you call giving the puck to the opposing that results in a goal…as Geno did last game. Coach was nice about it in the post game comments..but you could tell he was most displeased.
That’s true-Malkin isn’t injured, this is a conspiracy and he is being benched. Unreal. Malkin is unhappy playing for Pittsburgh, he wants to be the number one player, he is not liked in that locker room, and he is a Russian, and that means weakness under pressure and poor work ethic. Have I covered everything? Appreciate him while he is playing here Pittsburgh…many teams have to deal with stars who are some variation of the above. You don’t and if you think you do, it is sad.