Penguins
Penguins Practice: Guess Who’s Back? Koivunen Gets Big Promotion
DALLAS — The Pittsburgh Penguins seemed to get a little bit of good news Friday at practice at American Airlines Center.
After participating in the optional morning skate Thursday, Evgeni Malkin was a full participant at practice, even barking at his teammates in jest after the black jerseys lost a competitive drill to the yellow jerseys (usually the bottom six forward and third-pair defensemen).
UPDATE: Coach Mike Sullivan confirmed Malkin was a full participant and would be a game time decision Saturday. Based on the line combinations, it certainly appears that Malkin will play.
The Penguins lost in overtime to the St. Louis Blues Thursday, 5-4 at Enterprise Center.
Malkin has been out for the last 12 days, last playing on March 23 against the Florida Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena.
This season, the Penguins’ stalwart has slipped this season. His production is well off career norms due to a myriad of factors, from age to unproductive linemates. He has 46 points, including 15 goals, in 62 games. His string of 15 seasons with at least a point per game will end unless he miraculously scores 22 points in the next six games.
Ville Koivunen
The Penguins rookie has played a pair of outstanding games to begin his NHL career, including assisting on the last-second game-tying goal Thursday night.
Friday, Koivunen, 21, was elevated to the Penguins top power play unit with Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Matt Grzelcyk.
Was Koivunen a little starstruck? No. Or, if he was, he didn’t show it. Koivunen filled the net-front role and promptly scored a pair of goals in succession on the first two opportunities against goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.
The Penguins acquired Koivunen as part of the return in the Jake Guentzel trade last March.
Side note, Koivunen’s first name is pronounced, Vill-A, not the typical North American pronunciation, Vill-E.
Penguiuns Lines
Rutger McGroaty-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust
Rickard Rakell-Evgeni Malkin-Ville Koivunen
Connor Dewar-Kevin Hayes-Philip Tomasino
Danton Heinen-Blake Lizotte-Noel Acciari
Defense
Matt Grzelcyk-Kris Letang
Conor Timmins-Erik Karlsson
Ryan Graves/Vladislav Kolyachonok-Ryan Shea
Pittsburgh Hockey Now will update the story following practice, after Penguins coach Mike Sullivan addresses the media.
Our 3rd and 4th lines are downright depressing and that defense. My word….
At least malkin has a legit top six forward with racks and what looks like a rookie who may be top six. That actually gives malkin a legit line!
Oh Boy. The super slow 15 goal -22 center is back. Now we can watch him turn the puck over to Dallas half a dozen times.. Yaaaay!
If he only won three cups, MVP, scoring titles and many other awards. Yes he is aging for the NHL but what he has done for our team and city deserves respect. I get people now want to move on from their past heros for the next best thing and I admit I am harsh on players I don’t like…..jarry. That said I am on board for malkin to close the season and his career clawing and scratching on his terms. He’s earned that. So we only got to hear the pens announcer say the iconic (in my opinion) “SCORED… Read more »
People forget malkin only makes 6.1 mil a year. Half of what mathews McDavid make. For his salary, what do you have to complain about with his production with subpar linemates through most of the year. Same with Letang salary. They aren’t the same player 5-10 years ago. They don’t have the same cap hit % either. They get paid like the complimentary players they are at this point in their career. Can’t blame them the front office hasn’t filled in the roster around them, and failed every time they did the last 5,6,7 years…
He’s 1/4 of the player McDavid is, so that means he’s overpaid. One guy averages nearly 2 points a game the last 5 years and the other half a point.
In addition to giving the puck away like he’s EK65, he likes to contribute to the opponent by taking penalties out of frustration like he’s a 6 year old.
No doubt Malkin WAS a great player. Deserves the HOF. Doesn’t change the fact that he has no business being the 2C now!
So ok to make excuses for the slow turnover machine who is a career ending as a linemate, but you don’t like the All-Star Jarry, so be harsh on him.
Judge the current performance – he was awesome, WAS being the key word. Has no business on the 2nd line or at center.