After dropping Game 2 of their second-round series against the Washington Capitals, it looks like the Pittsburgh Penguins could be getting some reinforcements for Game 3.
Evgeni Malkin, who missed the first two games of the series because of a leg injury, was on the ice for the Pens morning skate. Brian Dumoulin, who left Sunday’s game after taking a hit to the head from Tom Wilson, was also on the ice during the skate.
Both players are considered game-time decisions for tonight’s game.
The fact that the Penguins were able to get a split in Washington without Malkin was pretty significant. Getting him back for Game 3 would be huge for obvious reasons. The 31-year-old had 42 goals and 98 points in 78 games during the regular season and three goals and two assists in five postseason contests.
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Malkin’s return would also allow Riley Sheahan to slide back into his fourth-line role. Sheahan had been centering Dominik Simon and Phil Kessel on Pittsburgh’s second line.
As for Dumoulin, much was made about Wilson not being suspended for the hit on the Pens defenseman, but head coach Mike Sullivan isn’t going to allow his team to get caught up in that.
Question to Mike Sullivan “We hear from a lot of fans who want to see Tom Wilson run tonight ...”
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) May 1, 2018
Sullivan: “We’re just going to play the game.”
The Penguins have relied on Dumoulin to play significant minutes throughout the postseason (he’s averaging 21 minutes per game), so him potentially being available would also give them a significant boost.
Carl Hagelin was also on the ice, but he wore a full visor and a non-contact jersey. Sullivan said Hagelin is also considered a game-time decision, but it seems unlikely that he’ll be available for Game 3.
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Joey Alfieri is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @joeyalfieri.