PITTSBURGH – Pittsburgh Penguins fans held their breath when a pair of future Hall of Famers were noticeable absences from a recent practice. In their first skate back from a disappointing road trip, Evgeni Malkin was absent, and Kris Letang left the ice early.
Following the practice, head coach Mike Sullivan stated Malkin was taking a maintenance day while Letang left as a precaution.
The next day, Malkin and Letang were full participants on the ice as they prepare for a tough contest against the Florida Panthers. After the skate, both players confirmed they felt good and were ready for puck drop.
“Everything is good,” Malkin said. “Nothing hurt. Don’t worry.”
In the week since returning from the All-Star break, Malkin has missed a pair of practices for maintenance days, so many assumed there was something wrong. While it’s still something to monitor, Malkin believes he is healthy and good to go.
Letang also let it be known that he’s good to go with a simple “I’m fine” after being an early exit to Monday’s skate. The blueliner said he was good to go and focused on what could be a physical match against the Panthers.
“That’s the way they play,” Letang said. “They have big, strong power forwards. You always expect a physical game against them.”
The Penguins will be without forwards Jansen Harkins and Noel Acciari as they were moved to injured reserve, but real trouble was avoided with Malkin and Letang. Malkin has been struggling recently, but he believes there is still a lot left in his tank. If the Penguins were to lose Letang for an extended period, their chances at the postseason would have become far slimmer.
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