Penguins forward Filip Hallander remains sidelined due to illness
Pittsburgh Penguins rookie forward Filip Hallander was absent from the team’s practice session in Cranberry on Monday because of an undisclosed illness.
Hallander took in the practice session as a spectator behind the glass while wearing street clothes.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan did not provide a substantive update on Hallander’s status other than to acknowledge he is being evaluated.
Hallander missed Saturday’s 5-4 overtime road loss to the Montreal Canadiens with the illness.
His status for Tuesday’s home game against the Toronto Maple Leafs is unclear.
Recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Nov. 8, Hallander has appeared in two NHL games and has no points while averaging 9 minutes, 58 seconds of ice time.
At the time of his recall, Hallander was Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s leading scorer. In 10 AHL games, Hallander has four goals and nine assists.
Notes:
• Also absent from practice was forward Evgeni Malkin, who was excused to attend to a personal matter, according to Sullivan.
Typically the team’s second-line center and a member of the top power-play unit, Malkin has appeared in 15 games this season and has a team-leading 16 points (seven goals, nine assists) while averaging 18:26 of ice time.
• Forward Teddy Blueger, currently designated to long-term injured reserve because of an undisclosed ailment he suffered during training camp Sept. 28, was a full participant in practice.
• The Penguins’ lines during Monday’s practice session were:
59 Jake Guentzel – 87 Sidney Crosby – 17 Bryan Rust
16 Jason Zucker – 53 Teddy Blueger – 67 Rickard Rakell
23 Brock McGinn – 77 Jeff Carter – 43 Danton Heinen
42 Kasperi Kapanen – 25 Ryan Poehling – 15 Josh Archibald
The defensemen rotated during line rushes.
• The top power-play unit included Crosby, Guentzel, Rakell, Rust and defenseman Kris Letang. The second power-play unit involved Carter, Heinen and Zucker as well as defensemen P.O Joseph and Jeff Petry.
Seth Rorabaugh is a TribLive reporter covering the Pittsburgh Penguins. A North Huntingdon native, he joined the Trib in 2019 and has covered the Penguins since 2007. He can be reached at srorabaugh@triblive.com.
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