VORHEES, N.J. — Evgeni Malkin walked out of the locker room in the Philadelphia Flyers’ practice facility Friday afternoon, turned, looked at longtime Pittsburgh TV personality Dan Potash and said, “What’s your future, Potash? Last year?”

Malkin was joking with Potash because, only a minute earlier, the 39-year-old future Hall of Fame forward had endured more questions from reporters about his future with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He resorted to humor to combat what was very clearly an uncomfortable spot for him.

Malkin is in the final season of his contract. Penguins president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas hasn’t yet offered him a deal beyond this season, and Malkin isn’t too thrilled about that. Dubas has publicly stated his desire for the Penguins to get younger several times.

Malkin has two of the four goals the Penguins have scored in a series they now trail 3-0, and he has enjoyed a strong season, but he knows this could be the end. He’s still hoping otherwise.

“I hope it’s not over,” Malkin said of his career in Pittsburgh. “I hope we’re still fighting. My future, again, I say the same thing. I want to be here. I want to be part of the team next year, too. I want to be retired in Pittsburgh. But it’s not my choice. It’s Kyle’s decision. New owners (the Hoffmann family) probably, too. But I just play my game (Saturday). I hope it’s not over and we’re back in Pittsburgh. We want to play in front of our fans. They deserve (the playoffs).”

Malkin produced better than a point per game this season and played his best hockey in years. Although the Penguins are behind in this series and have been outscored 11-4 by a younger, faster Flyers team, Malkin has two goals and three points in the three games.

It appears he’ll be reunited with old linemates Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov for Saturday night’s Game 4.

The Penguins were in notably good spirits at Friday’s practice, with many laughs and smiles evident during the 65-minute workout.

“It’s not easy,” Malkin said. “It’s tough. But it’s not over. We can’t be in a bad mood. It won’t help us.”

Typically, when a team is down 3-0 in a playoff series while playing against a bitter rival, you’d expect a funeral-like atmosphere. Instead, Crosby and Malkin led the way with positive energy Friday, even toward the end of the workout when Crosby took a stray puck to the back of his helmet and laughed it off (he’s fine).

Malkin wants the positivity to continue and thinks the tide may have turned a little bit in Game 3, even if the result was another convincing Flyers win.

“First period (of Game 3), I thought we played amazing,” Malkin said. “We play that way the whole game, I think we have a chance to win. We have a good team. We understand what’s going on. It’s not easy. We believe in ourselves. I believe in my team.”

Malkin has been in the middle of much of the violence in this series and was particularly worked up in Game 1, when he was talking with the Flyers bench and taking runs at Philadelphia players.

He acknowledged that his team needs to avoid the fisticuffs. It won’t do them any good.

“It’s hard when you get punched in the face,” Malkin admitted.

Then, he relented.

“We understand Philly always plays like this,” he said. “Rick Tocchet, their coaches, they know us. It’s tough. But we need to understand the situation. After whistles, we have to stay away.”

Staying away from the violence has never been one of Malkin’s strengths. As star players go, he’s as tough as they come and certainly goes over the line on occasion. He was suspended in 2019 for swinging his stick at a Flyers player’s head and was suspended for five games in March for slashing the Buffalo Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin in the head and shoulder.

Perhaps an older, wiser Malkin is thinking better of it.

“We need a little bit more discipline,” he said.

They also need a lot more goals. And a lot better work in the neutral zone. And a lot more of everything.

For so many years, Malkin has been the man to provide just that for the Penguins. Malkin has put up 183 points in 180 career Stanley Cup playoff games, making him the highest-scoring Russian in NHL postseason history. Those 183 points are good for a tie for 12th place on the career playoff point list with Nicklas Lidström. Malkin is five points away from cracking the top 10, and if the Penguins are to miraculously win this series, he’ll probably need to reach that number.

First things first, though. The Penguins need to win Game 4.

This is reminiscent of 1997, when the overwhelmed Penguins lost in five to the Flyers. Game 5 was a Saturday night in Philadelphia, and it served as Mario Lemieux’s last NHL game until he shockingly came out of retirement nearly four years later.

Malkin hopes a Saturday night in Philadelphia won’t mark the end of the line for him. He’d like to keep going and get another contract. More than anything, after hearing him talk, he wants to get back to Pittsburgh for at least one more home playoff game.

The mood in practice seemed to help.

“It’s not over,” Malkin said. “Good day today.”

Notes

• It appears that Justin Brazeau and Connor Clifton will be leaving the lineup in Game 4. Here’s how the lines broke down at practice on Friday:

Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust
Egor Chinakhov-Tommy Novak-Evgeni Malkin
Elmer Söderblom-Ben Kindel-Anthony Mantha
Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari

Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard-Kris Letang
Ryan Shea-Ilya Solovyov

• I asked Sidney Crosby about the embellishment penalty he received in Game 3. A mocking picture of Crosby lying on the ice is already prominently featured on a billboard on a Philadelphia highway.

“I don’t really want to get into it,” he said. “It happened. He hit me in the face with his stick. I don’t know what else you want me to tell you. Make up whatever you want to make up. Those are the facts. He got away with it. Good tradeoff.”

I sensed that Crosby didn’t want to say anything to further ignite the conversation about the incident. It’s also pretty clear that he’s furious about it.

• Stuart Skinner is the likely starter for Game 4. Philadelphia goaltender Dan Vladar is injured and is considered a game-time decision for Game 4. He hasn’t practiced since Game 3.