The Pittsburgh Penguins find themselves in a tough spot, sitting just two points above the bottom of the NHL standings with a 6-9-2 record through 17 games. Their latest setback was a humiliating 7-1 loss to the Dallas Stars, where they allowed a staggering six goals in the first period alone.
Penguins GM Kyle Dubas has already swung what could be the first of many trades, sending Lars Eller back to the Washington Capitals earlier on Tuesday afternoon.
As franchise legends Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang near the twilight of their careers, questions are surfacing about whether they made the right choice to stay with the only NHL team they’ve ever played for, despite the increasingly slim odds of another championship run.
Following Pittsburgh’s loss to Dallas, Evgeni Malkin didn’t hold back, offering some blunt remarks about the team’s current struggles, via Penguins Hockey Now.
“We need to stop looking at each other. We need to play with each other,” he said. “It’s a simple game right now. Every team plays simple, straightforward. Play in the offensive zone, behind the net, play tough. Again, this year we play a couple times when we played great games. If we play the same game every night, it’s a good chance to win.”
Malkin then continued by issuing an apology to the fans who spent their hard-earned money to watch the disaster of a game on Monday night.
“We need to play better at home,” Malkin said. “(Monday) night, I want to say sorry to the fans. They (deserve) a better game. I hope we together find a good way and win (Wednesday) and start building the team better.”
Malkin and the Penguins will take on the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night on home ice.
Evgeni Malkin is a Penguins icon
Like his longtime teammates Crosby and Letang, Evgeni Malkin has spent his entire NHL career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, playing a pivotal role in each of their Stanley Cup triumphs in 2009, 2016, and 2017. Malkin earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP during the 2009 playoff run, Pittsburgh’s first Stanley Cup win since 1992.
Affectionately known as “Geno” to Penguins fans, Malkin was drafted second overall in the 2004 NHL Draft, just after fellow Russian superstar Alexander Ovechkin.
Over his illustrious career, Malkin has tallied 503 goals and 8011 assists, along with 67 goals and 113 assists in 177 playoff games. When he eventually retires, his iconic No. 71 jersey is all but certain to join Crosby’s in the rafters of PPG Paints Arena.
