Evgeni Malkin scores painful goal as Penguins extend winning streak to 7

The Penguins were in a good place on Thursday.

South Florida.

While most of us in Western Pennsylvania dealt with sideways rain — or a frozen variety of it — and were bundled up against dreary temperatures in the 40s, the Penguins shed their shirts and got a healthy dose of Vitamin D on the shores of Fort Lauderdale.

Another good place they’ve inhabited as of late?

The win column.

Entering Thursday, they were in the midst of a season-best six-game winning streak.

“It obviously boosts everyone’s confidence,” Penguins forward Teddy Blueger said on Wednesday at the team’s facility in Cranberry. “Puts everyone in a better mood. Obviously, we’ve played some pretty good hockey, even in some games where we weren’t as good. We showed some good character.

“We’ve kind of had to win in different ways and relied on different guys to win.”

On Thursday, the Penguins’ special teams proved to be highly reliable as they claimed a 4-2 win at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla. The victory extracted a toll, however, as superstar center forward Evgeni Malkin left the contest at 8:05 of the third period after he was injured while in the process of scoring a power-play goal.

From above the left circle of the offensive zone, Penguins forward Sidney Crosby rocketed a slapper toward the cage. Malkin, positioned to the right of the crease, was struck on the outside of his right knee — which has undergone multiple surgeries throughout his career — and immediately fell to the ice as the puck deflected into the net for his 10th goal of the season.

He eventually made his way to the visiting dressing room with assistance from teammates but did not return.

Penguins coach Mike Sullivan did not provide a substantive update for Malkin’s status, though he suggested the “preliminary prognosis is positive” while speaking with media in Sunrise following the game.

Teammate Kris Letang offered a similar assessment.

“He’ll be OK. He’s tough,” Letang said.

Panthers forward Ryan Lomberg opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the season 5:30 into regulation. From the center point of the offensive zone, Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour slid a pass to forward Eric Staal low in the right circle. Fighting off a check from Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin, Staal fired a wrister on net while falling. Goaltender Tristan Jarry rejected the shot but allowed a rebound to the right of the cage where Lomberg cleaned it up with a forehand shot that clunked off Jarry’s left arm and fluttered into the cage. Staal and Montour had assists.

The Penguins’ first three goals came via special teams.

A short-handed goal by Letang at 4:17 of the second period tied the game, 1-1. Chasing down a puck on the right half wall of his own zone, Penguins forward Ryan Poehling lumberjack chopped a clearing attempt up ice. Forward Bryan Rust claimed possession in the neutral zone and gained the offensive blue line on the left wing. Drawing in Montour, Rust slipped a backhand pass below the right circle, where Letang streaked in and lifted a forehand shot past the glove of sprawling goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for his second goal of the season and fifth career short-handed goal, a new franchise record for defensemen. Rust and Poehling tallied assists.

Penguins forward Jake Guentzel supplied his team with its first lead by scoring his 14th goal on a power-play opportunity at 12:42 of the second. From the high slot of the offensive zone, Malkin surveyed the scene and snapped off a pass to the right of the crease, where Guentzel positioned his right skate to deflect the puck past Bobrovsky’s left leg and into the cage. Bobrovsky protested the goal and officials briefly reviewed the legality of Guentzel’s actions but the score stood. Assists went to Malkin and Letang.

Malkin’s goal – which was the eventual game-winning score – came off assists from Crosby and forward Rickard Rakell.

After Malkin’s goal and subsequent departure, the Panthers pulled within one at 10:14 of the third period thanks to forward Sam Reinhart’s ninth goal. From the right circle of the offensive zone, Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe pitchforked a backhanded pass across the ice to the left circle where Reinhart clapped a one-timer over Jarry’s right shoulder on the near side. The lone assist went to Verhaeghe.

Guentzel scored again at 18:42 of the final frame on an empty net to secure victory. Crosby and forward Brock McGinn had assists.

Jarry made 32 saves on 34 shots as his record improved to 14-3-3.

Notes:

• The Penguins’ seven-game winning streak is their longest since a 10-game stretch they enjoyed last season between Dec. 4 and Jan. 6.

• The Penguins have power-play goals in a season-best seven consecutive games. In their first 23 games, they scored at least one power-play goal in only nine of those contests.

• The Penguins’ most recent short-handed goal by a defenseman came off the stick of Jack Johnson in a 4-3 home win against the Boston Bruins on Jan. 19, 2020. Johnson scored the tying goal and helped propel the Penguins to a comeback victory (they were down three goals).

• Letang was previously tied with Randy Carlyle and Larry Murphy for most career short-handed goals by defensemen in franchise history.

The Penguins' career leaders in short-handed goals by defensemen: pic.twitter.com/WSd9UccpGg

— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) December 16, 2022

• Guentzel is tied with Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin for the league lead in empty net goals (five each).

• The Penguins scratched forwards Drew O’Connor (healthy), Jason Zucker (undisclosed injury) and defenseman Mark Friedman (healthy).

• With Zucker scratched, forward Danton Heinen replaced him in the lineup after being a healthy scratch for five of the previous seven games.

• The Panthers were only able to dress 19 players on Thursday as star forward Matthew Tkachuk was scratched. According to media in Sunrise, Tkachuk was sidelined due to an undisclosed illness that has felled other members of the roster.

According to Cap Friendly, the Panthers only have $600,125 of salary cap space, a figure that does not allow them to make a recall from a minor league affiliate.

• Appearing in his 574th career contest for the Panthers, Aaron Ekblad set a new franchise record for games by a defenseman. He previously shared the mark with Robert Svehla (573).