The Pittsburgh Penguins have had a difficult season with injuries to many of their key players, and it continues today as head coach Dan Bylsma has announced that superstar centre Evgeni Malkin is out two to three weeks with a foot injury.
The 27-year-old Malkin, suffered the injury on his first shift against the St. Louis Blues Sunday afternoon.
“He got hurt on a play toward the net,” Bylsma said.
According to Bylsma, “the doctors haven’t indicated” that Malkin will need surgery on the injury.“
The 2-3 week timeline is concerning as the NHL playoffs begin in just 22 days, any setback could see the Penguins without Malkin when they begin.
Malkin ranks second on the Penguins and sixth in the NHL in scoring with 23 goals and 49 assists for 72 points in 60 games so far this season. Malkin missed 11 games with a lower-body injury earlier this year. He had six points in his last two games before the St. Louis game.
“It was a strong couple of games and to get that news it is disappointing,” Bylsma said. “We’d like him to remember and watch the last couple of games in terms of how he was playing for 2-3 weeks from now.”
The Penguins currently sit first in the Metropolitan Division and second in the Eastern Conference with 97 points. Sitting ten points behind the Bruins, it seems that the Penguins will finish the season in the number two seed, and have home ice advantage for at least the first two rounds of the NHL playoffs.
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