VORHEES, N.J. \u2014 Evgeni Malkin walked out of the locker room in the Philadelphia Flyers\u2019 practice facility Friday afternoon, turned, looked at longtime Pittsburgh TV personality Dan Potash and said, \u201cWhat\u2019s your future, Potash? Last year?\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Malkin is in the final season of his contract. Penguins president of hockey operations\/general manager Kyle Dubas hasn\u2019t yet offered him a deal beyond this season, and Malkin isn\u2019t too thrilled about that. Dubas has publicly stated his desire for the Penguins to get younger several times.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s still hoping otherwise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope it\u2019s not over,\u201d Malkin said of his career in Pittsburgh. \u201cI hope we\u2019re 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\u2019s not my choice. It\u2019s Kyle\u2019s decision. New owners (the Hoffmann family) probably, too. But I just play my game (Saturday). I hope it\u2019s not over and we\u2019re back in Pittsburgh. We want to play in front of our fans. They deserve (the playoffs).\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
It appears he\u2019ll be reunited with old linemates Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov for Saturday night\u2019s Game 4.<\/p>\n
The Penguins were in notably good spirits at Friday\u2019s practice, with many laughs and smiles evident during the 65-minute workout.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not easy,\u201d Malkin said. \u201cIt\u2019s tough. But it\u2019s not over. We can\u2019t be in a bad mood. It won\u2019t help us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Typically, when a team is down 3-0 in a playoff series while playing against a bitter rival, you\u2019d 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\u2019s fine).<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst period (of Game 3), I thought we played amazing,\u201d Malkin said. \u201cWe play that way the whole game, I think we have a chance to win. We have a good team. We understand what\u2019s going on. It\u2019s not easy. We believe in ourselves. I believe in my team.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged that his team needs to avoid the fisticuffs. It won\u2019t do them any good.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard when you get punched in the face,\u201d Malkin admitted.<\/p>\n
Then, he relented.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe understand Philly always plays like this,\u201d he said. \u201cRick Tocchet, their coaches, they know us. It\u2019s tough. But we need to understand the situation. After whistles, we have to stay away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Staying away from the violence has never been one of Malkin\u2019s strengths. As star players go, he\u2019s 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\u2019s head and was suspended for five games in March for slashing the Buffalo Sabres\u2019 Rasmus Dahlin in the head and shoulder<\/a>.<\/p>\n Perhaps an older, wiser Malkin is thinking better of it.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need a little bit more discipline,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n They also need a lot more goals. And a lot better work in the neutral zone. And a lot more of everything.<\/p>\n 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 Lidstr\u00f6m. Malkin is five points away from cracking the top 10, and if the Penguins are to miraculously win this series, he\u2019ll probably need to reach that number.<\/p>\n First things first, though. The Penguins need to win Game 4.<\/p>\n 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\u2019s last NHL game until he shockingly came out of retirement nearly four years later.<\/p>\n Malkin hopes a Saturday night in Philadelphia won\u2019t mark the end of the line for him. He\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n The mood in practice seemed to help.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not over,\u201d Malkin said. \u201cGood day today.\u201d<\/p>\n Notes<\/p>\n \u2022 It appears that Justin Brazeau and Connor Clifton will be leaving the lineup in Game 4. Here\u2019s how the lines broke down at practice on Friday:<\/p>\n Rickard Rakell-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson \u2022 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.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t really want to get into it,\u201d he said. \u201cIt happened. He hit me in the face with his stick. I don\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n I sensed that Crosby didn\u2019t want to say anything to further ignite the conversation about the incident. It\u2019s also pretty clear that he\u2019s furious about it.<\/p>\n
Egor Chinakhov-Tommy Novak-Evgeni Malkin
Elmer S\u00f6derblom-Ben Kindel-Anthony Mantha
Connor Dewar-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari<\/p>\n
Sam Girard-Kris Letang
Ryan Shea-Ilya Solovyov<\/p>\n