With Evgeni Malkin back, Penguins scratch Dominik Kahun
Pittsburgh Penguins forward Dominik Kahun saw his modest two-game scoring streak come to a halt Saturday.
The reason? He didn’t play.
With franchise center Evgeni Malkin returning to the lineup for a 2-1 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers, the Penguins had a fully healthy lineup for the first time this season. As a result, Kahun, who had recorded four points in his past two games, was a healthy scratch.
“It was very difficult (to scratch Kahun),” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We could have went a number of different directions with that decision. That’s the conversation I had with Dominik when I made that decision. That’s a tough decision. It’s a good challenge to have as a coaching staff because I think it’s an indication of the depth that we have. We have legitimate NHL players. We can only put so many of them in the lineup.
“In Dominik’s case, I think the last handful of games have been his best. I just don’t want it to set him back. He’s got to make sure he keeps his confidence and stays ready. He can’t control the decisions the coaches make. All he can do is control how he reacts to it. That’s important from our standpoint. He’s a great pro and a good person. He understand it.”
“I never was a healthy scratch in my life,” Kahun said Friday, before Saturday’s lineup was determined. “I hope it’s not going to happen. But if it happens, it’s nothing that I can do. I just have to work hard again.”
Malkin was held without a point in his return, but he led the game, along with teammate Teddy Blueger, with six shots while logging 19 minutes, 45 minutes of ice time on 21 shifts.
“He played well,” Sullivan said. “You can obviously see the impact that he has on our team when he’s in our lineup. We’re certainly a much more difficult team to play against. We’re harder from a matchup standpoint. For his first game back, after missing a fair amount of time, he had a pretty good game.
Notes:
• Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist left the game late in the third period due to apparent injury. He retreated to the dressing room appearing to favor his left leg after recording his final shift with 2:32 left in the third period. There was no update on his status after the game.
• Penguins forward Sidney Crosby wore a jaw protector for the second consecutive game. Initially injured after being struck by a puck on the left side of his head during a 3-0 road win against the Dallas Stars on Oct. 26, Crosby wore the accessory in Tuesday’s 7-1 home victory against the Philadelphia Flyers. He did not don it during practice sessions in Cranberry on Wednesday or Friday.
• In addition to Kahun, defensemen Juuso Riikola and Chad Ruhwedel were scratched.
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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