Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin off to slow start
Evgeni Malkin’s performance in Sunday’s 3-2 win against the New York Rangers was historic.
And not for anything resembling a positive footnote.
Clocking in at 14 minutes, 23 seconds of ice time on 23 shifts, the Penguins’ star center recorded the third lowest time on ice total of his career, absent any games he left early because of injury.
Granted, part of that limited deployment was due to the fact the Penguins did not have a single opportunity on the power play, a realm where Malkin is certainly vital.
Regardless, he was rather ineffective in the minutes he was afforded Sunday as he failed to even record a single shot attempt.
It might have been Malkin’s worst game of a season that has been underwhelming to this juncture. In six games, he has one power-play goal and one secondary assist.
As he usually does for any player mired in a rough patch, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan offered nothing but public encouragement for Malkin.
“(Malkin has) has moments where he’s been real good,” Sullivan said via video conference. “And he’s had others where he hasn’t been at his best. I think it’s a matter of time here before (Malkin) finds his game consistently. This guy is a proven talent in this league. He had a great year last year. One of the leading points-per-game guys in the league (in 2019-20). We know what he’s capable of. We’re just trying to encourage him and help through the process. We’re also trying to surround him with the right people that can help him capture his very best game.
”Obviously, the expectations on (Malkin) are so high. We all have them because of how he’s performed for a decade-plus with the Penguins. And no one has higher expectations of (Malkin) than himself. He knows what he’s capable of. We’re just trying to encourage him, help him through the process. But I feel very confident that (Malkin) is going to find his game.”
Poulin on the move
Forward prospect Sam Poulin was traded within the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) from the Sherbrooke Phoenix to the Val-d’Or Foreurs.
The Penguins’ first-round pick in 2019, Poulin will join their third-round pick from that same draft class, forward Nathan Legare, with Val-d’Or. Each player participated in the Penguins’ training camp earlier this month but were returned to their respective junior teams Jan. 11.
Poulin’s 2020-21 season has hardly gone as hoped. While most leagues in North America remained on hiatus through the fall because of the pandemic, the QMJHL has tried to power through but with irregular stoppages throughout the season. Furthermore, he was one of the final cuts from Canada’s entry into the International Ice Hockey Federation’s (IIHF) World Junior Championship tournament in December.
As a result, Poulin has not played a game since Nov. 7.
In five games this season, the 19-year-old Poulin has six points (three goals, three assists).
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton camp postponed
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, American Hockey League affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, had the first day of their training camp Monday postponed due to what a team spokesperson termed as “out of caution and in accordance” with the AHL’s protocols regarding covid-19.
There was no word on how the remainder of camp would progress.
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton is scheduled to play a road preseason game against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Friday and open the regular season with a home game against the Binghamton Devils on Feb. 6.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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