The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to search for consistency this season. With a 16-12-9 record, they remain second-last in the Metropolitan Division and have managed just two wins in their last 11 games.
Amid the recent struggles, Penguins fans finally received a long-awaited injury update involving one of the franchise’s biggest names.
Injury Update Emerges on Penguins’ $24.4 Million Veteran
The Penguins’ star forward Evgeni Malkin is nearing a return to action. Malkin, who is in the final season of his four-year, $24.4 million contract, has been sidelined with an upper-body injury and was retroactively placed on injured reserve. He has now missed 11 consecutive games.
Before going down with the injury, Malkin was having an excellent season, producing 29 points in just 26 games. His absence has been felt, especially during Pittsburgh’s recent slump.
There was some optimism over the weekend, as Malkin was spotted back on the ice ahead of practice. He skated alongside Filip Hallander. He is also on injured reserve. Malkin was moving well and firing shots, offering a hopeful sign for fans eager to see him return.
While the team has not made an announcement regarding his status, Malkin’s presence on the ice suggests his comeback could be approaching. This was not his first time skating during his recovery. He also participated in on-ice work about two weeks ago. But it appears he needed additional time to fully heal.
Penguins head coach Dan Muse provided a brief update on Malkin’s condition. “Right now, he’s skating on his own, so status quo. There’s nothing new to report there,” Muse said.
Even without a confirmed return date, the sight of Malkin skating again has given the fanbase renewed optimism.
Penguins Bounce Back With Big Win Over Blackhawks
In the meantime, Pittsburgh delivered one of its most complete performances of the season in a 7–3 victory over Chicago on Sunday. It marks a strong return from the holiday break.
Anthony Mantha opened the scoring early. And Pittsburgh quickly built a multi-goal lead with goals from Bryan Rust and Justin Brazeau. Rust scored again later in the period to take a 4-0 lead.
Chicago briefly responded through Nick Foligno. But Brazeau answered back with a power-play goal. And later completed his hat trick to put the game out of reach. Acciari added another late before Bertuzzi scored in the final second, sealing a 7-3 Penguins win.
After the game, head coach Dan Muse highlighted the importance of playing with a lead. “(Playing with the lead), obviously it’s been something that was discussed there over the last month,” Coach Dan Muse said. “And I thought we kept playing there. I think more positives than anything to take away from tonight.”
The Penguins will look to build on the momentum when they face the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. With fans hoping Evgeni Malkin’s return isn’t far behind.
