
The Pittsburgh Penguins will open a five-game homestand by hosting the Anaheim Ducks after losing their last game on Sunday when they faced the Dallas Stars to cap a three-game road trip.
The franchise entered the week with a 14-7-6 record and points in six of its past seven games while navigating injuries across the forward group.
Those issues became worse following Tuesday's news released by the Penguins, as Pittsburgh announced Evgeni Malkin and Blake Lizotte have been placed on injured reserve
Malkin and Lizotte will both be unavailable heading into Tuesday’s matchup and for the time being. Each already missed time with upper-body injuries, and both situations remained unclear.
Forwards Danton Heinen and Sam Poulin have been recalled from the @WBSPenguins (AHL).
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 9, 2025
Forwards Evgeni Malkin and Blake Lizotte have been placed on Injured Reserve. pic.twitter.com/rwkHLqbOQy
Malkin sat out the loss to the Stars, and Lizotte exited that game on Sunday without the Penguins being able to share any details about his situation until now.
Malkin has produced eight goals and a team-leading 21 assists, appearing in 26 of Pittsburgh's 27 games through Sunday, and keeping up one of the strongest starts to a season of his 20-year career.
Lizotte, meanwhile, has recorded five points in 27 games while playing regular minutes in the bottom six and averaging 13:57 time on ice to start the campaign.
In a parallel move, Pittsburgh recalled forwards Danton Heinen and Sam Poulin from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to fill the open roster spots.
Heinen has appeared in nine NHL games this season, assisting on one goal. Poulin played two games earlier in the season and has yet to score a point.
Puck drop against the Ducks is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at PPG Paints Arena.
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