Malkin says Penguins need to 'look in the mirror'

PITTSBURGH -- Evgeni Malkin still believes in the Pittsburgh Penguins.

That doesn't mean he doesn't understand the reality of their situation, though.

"We see (the) standings,” Malkin said after a 4-2 home loss to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday. “I think we understand we'd miss (the) playoffs. And half the season is gone. Yeah, we understand everything.”

The Penguins (18-20-8) have lost three in a row in regulation and seven of eight (1-4-3), falling four points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference.

The script could flip at any time for Pittsburgh, which squandered a two-goal lead midway through the third period of a 4-3 shootout loss to Columbus on Jan. 7. Two days later came one of the more impressive wins of its season, 5-3 against the Edmonton Oilers. Then there was Saturday, a 5-0 loss to the Ottawa Senators.

On Sunday, the Penguins outshot the Tampa Bay Lightning 14-2 in the first period, 33-19 overall, and lost 5-2.

Malkin, who was a late scratch for the loss to the Blue Jackets, missed each of those four games. He returned Tuesday and nearly everything went right. Until it didn’t.

Pittsburgh again controlled the opening period, outshooting Seattle 16-2. It took a 2-1 lead into the third period.

And then?

“We give them free goals in the third period,” Malkin said. “I can't say we played bad, but I mean ... we play like we're not disciplined.”

Jamie Oleksiak and Eeli Tolvanen scored 50 seconds apart. Kaapo Kakko added an empty-net goal.

That was it, and the Penguins finished 1-3-1 on a five-game homestand.

“If I had the answer, I'd fix it,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We simply have to do a better job defending in our end zone. That falls on me. I've got to do a better job coaching these guys on our play in our own end, defending away from the puck and making sure that we're on the same page there.

“What needs to change is a commitment to play defense. That's what I think. We weren't willing to play defense.”

This stretch could have been a lesson earlier in the season. This was Game No. 46, though, and the Penguins are running out of time.

“We've got to close up games,” captain Sidney Crosby said. “However we need to do it, whatever it looks like, we need to find ways to get two points.”

The urgency comes from expectation.

Crosby and Malkin, along with defenseman Kris Letang, have won the Stanley Cup three times (2009, 2016, 2017). In their 19th season together, they are the longest-tenured trio of teammates in the history of North American pro sports.

Malkin and Letang debuted in 2006-07, joining Crosby in his second NHL season. They made the playoffs the following 16 seasons.

The last two seasons haven’t been as kind. Pittsburgh first missed in 2022-23, finishing one point behind the Florida Panthers for the second wild card. Then again last season, when it was three points back of the Washington Capitals for the last spot.

Malkin is 38 years old. Crosby and Letang are each 37. They still do their part. Crosby leads the Penguins with 48 points (12 goals, 36 assists), and Malkin is fourth (33 points; eight goals, 25 assists). Letang’s seven goals are the most among their defensemen.

From them, not much has changed. And at this stage, they don’t welcome a new normal.

“If we want to play in the playoffs, we need to play so much better in every zone, every moment, every detail,” Malkin said. “I think everybody here has played a long time in the League. I think everybody understands what's going on. We have a nice organization. We have great history.

“And the last two years, we've missed (the) playoffs. I don't like to miss again. It's not good enough. I hope we look in the mirror tonight, and tomorrow, and start to play better.”