Monday's NHL: Penguins’ Malkin suspended 4 games, will return against Wings
Evgeni Malkin has been suspended four games without pay for cross-checking Nashville’s Mark Borowiecki in the face, a significant blow to the Pittsburgh Penguins as they hope to hold on to their playoff position.
Malkin will miss upcoming games against the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins after the NHL’s department of player safety announced the suspension Monday following a disciplinary hearing. In a video explaining the suspension, the league called Malkin’s cross-check “retaliatory and aggressive.”
Malkin was initially given only a four-minute double-minor penalty after striking Borowiecki in the mouth with his stick at the end of the second period Sunday.
“It’s an emotional game out there,” coach Mike Sullivan told reporters after the game. “It’s physical, and sometimes that stuff happens. It was a physical game, especially at the net fronts in those areas where that took place.
“Obviously, we don’t want our best players in the penalty box, but these guys are competitive guys and they push back. We’d prefer they be on the ice. They give us a better chance when they’re on the ice, for sure. But one of the things we love about Geno is how competitive he is, and so when you get an emotional game like the game we had today, those things happen.”
This is Malkin’s second suspension after a one-game ban for high-sticking in 2019. He has been fined three times. This suspension costs him $190,000 in salary.
He’s eligible to return April 23 versus Detroit.
The Penguins beat the Predators in overtime to snap a four-game skid. They have lost seven of their last 10 games and are in danger of falling out of third place in the Metropolitan Division and into an Eastern Conference wild-card spot.
Malkin missed the first 34 games of the season rehabbing from knee surgery. Since making his season debut Jan. 11, the 35-year-old Russian center has been a point-a-game player with 17 goals and 20 assists in 37 games.
Svechnikov scores GWG
Former Red Wing Evgeny Svechnikov scored a tiebreaking goal midway through the third period, and the Winnipeg Jets beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 on Monday night.
Morgan Barron had a goal and an assist and Paul Stastny also scored for Winnipeg. Adam Lowry added an empty-net goal, and Dylan Samberg had two assists. Starting back-to-back games, Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves.
Jets interim coach Dave Lowry’s reasoning for Hellebuyck’s consecutive starts was simple.
“We’re still fighting for every game. We’re in desperation mode right now,” Lowry said. “It would be no different if we were in a playoff series and we were going back-to-back. That was the conversation, we had an understanding that we have to win every game here and just take care of business each and every night”
With the win, the Jets (35-28-11) are five points away from the Dallas Stars and the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. However, the Stars have two games in hand on the Jets.
Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey said players know what they’re up against, but added that there’s no sense of panic in the locker room.
“I don’t think you can really afford to talk about that,” Morrissey said. “I mean, we’re just trying to win games, get two points, one point, whatever we can do. (We) hope to get some help from other teams, but I don’t think we really talk about anything bigger than the next game.
“You can’t really look too far in the future. We know where we’re at.”
Josh Anderson scored his 100th career goal for Montreal, and Joel Armia added a goal against his former team. Samuel Montembeault kept the Canadiens in the game with 31 saves, including 15 in the second period.
“I liked our group today, nothing seemed to bother us,” Lowry said. “When we did give up a goal, we went right back out the next shift and we were able to continue to generate, to continue to get the momentum back.”