The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without Evgeni Malkin for six to eight weeks after the forward suffered an upper-body injury. The team announced the news on Saturday but did not disclose exactly what the injury is.
Malkin was injured Friday night after a collision with Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dalton Prout. The forward left the game in the second period and is not travelling with the Penguins to New York to play against the Rangers. Malkin has already missed time with an injury this season; he sat out 10 games for the Penguins during a stretch in February.
Malkin was hit against the boards by Prout, pinning his right arm and shoulder against the glass in the Columbus offensive zone. The Penguins won five of 10 games when Malkin was out earlier in the season, and the forward remains the second leading scorer on the team despite missing time. Malkin has 58 points in 57 games this season, including 27 goals and 31 assists.
The forward will miss the rest of the regular season if the six to eight week diagnosis holds up. The playoffs begin on April 13, and the Penguins are currently in the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. Based on the diagnosis, Malkin could miss the first round of the postseason if Pittsburgh makes it.
The Penguins have 78 points this season, and they sit one point ahead of the Detroit Red Wings in the wild card standings. The Philadelphia Flyers have 75 points behind Detroit in the standings, while the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils follow.
