Penguins forwards Evgeni Malkin, Matt Nieto injured in loss to Kraken

Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Evgeni Malkin and Matt Nieto each suffered injuries during a 4-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.

There was no substantive word from the team as to either player’s status following the game. Malkin did not record a shift beyond the 17 minute, 8 second mark of the first period, and Nieto was not credited with any time on ice past 8:41 of the third period.

Typically deployed as the second-line center and on the second power-play unit, Malkin entered the day as the team’s fourth-leading scorer with 34 points (nine goals, 25 assists) while averaging 18:22 of ice time per contest.

Nieto normally inhabits the fourth line and has regular duties on the penalty kill. Before Saturday, he had skated in 26 games this season and had three points (one goal, two assists) while clocking 12:27 of ice time per contest.

The Penguins were already dealing with a handful of absences among their forward ranks going into the contest as Blake Lizotte (illness) and Bryan Rust (undisclosed injury) were scratched.

The truancies of Lizotte and Rust prompted the team to recall forward Boko Imama from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Saturday afternoon. Making his Penguins debut, Imama opened the contest on the fourth line and logged 8:52 of ice time on 13 shifts and had one shot on two attempts as well as one blocked shot.

For the second consecutive game, the team’s offensive production was limited. On Thursday’s the Penguins suffered a 5-1 road loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

“Obviously, we’d like to get more production from different people,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said to reporters in Seattle via audio provided by the team’s media relations staff.

Following a scoreless opening period, Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand recorded his 14th goal of the season 2:16 into the second frame.

Near Seattle’s left point, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang fumbled a puck and surrendered possession to Kraken forward Chandler Stephenson. Accepting that charity, Stephenson initiated an odd-man rush that eventually morphed into a three-on-two attack against Letang and defensive partner Marcus Pettersson. Gaining the Penguins’ zone on the right wing, Stephenson slid a backhand pass to the high slot to former Erie Otters forward Andre Burakovsky who almost immediately offloaded the puck to the bottom of the right circle, where Bjorkstrand whacked in a one-timer by rookie goaltender Joel Blomqvist’s right skate on the near side. Burakovsky and Stephenson had assists.

Seattle goal!

Scored by Oliver Bjorkstrand with 17:44 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Andre Burakovsky and Chandler Stephenson.

Seattle: 1
Pittsburgh: 0#PITvsSEA #SeaKraken #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/rXUmowL6Nv

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) January 25, 2025

Penguins forward Sidney Crosby responded 138 seconds later with his 14th goal.

After beating Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz to a loose puck on Seattle’s right half-wall, Letang rimmed it along the wall to the end boards. Taking the puck on his backhand, Penguins forward Rickard Rakell moved it to his forehand, turned to his left and slipped a pass between the lower hashmarks, where Crosby leaned on his left knee and chopped a one-timer by goaltender Joey Daccord’s glove. Rakell and Letang logged assists.

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Sidney Crosby with 15:26 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Rickard Rakell and Kris Letang.

Seattle: 1
Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsSEA #SeaKraken #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/aNynEGiqdv

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) January 25, 2025

The hosts regained a lead via defenseman Vince Dunn’s ninth goal, which came during a five-on-three power-play sequence at 17:46 of the second period.

From the Penguins’ right circle, Kraken forward Jared McCann boomed a one-timer that Blomqvist rejected. The rebound hopped toward the right corner, where McCann outraced Nieto for possession before sliding a pass to the high slot. Dunn settled the puck then clapped a slapper past Blomqvist’s glove. Schwartz supplied an effective screen on the sequence. Assists went to McCann and Stephenson.

Power play goal for Seattle!

Scored by Vince Dunn with 02:14 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Jared McCann and Chandler Stephenson.

Seattle: 2
Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsSEA #SeaKraken #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/NIZbAlEYzj

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) January 25, 2025

Kraken forward Eeli Tolvanen put his team up 3-1 at 5:06 of the third period with his 12th goal.

Gaining the offensive zone on the right wing, Kraken forward Shane Wright banked the puck off the left-wing boards where McCann chased it down. As Penguins forward Michael Bunting and defenseman Erik Karlsson each applied pressure, McCann fed a pass to the right circle for a wide-open Tolvanen, who smacked the tar out of a one-timer, beating a helpless Blomqvist’s glove on the near side. McCann and Wright wound up with assists.

Seattle goal!

Scored by Eeli Tolvanen with 14:54 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Jared McCann and Shane Wright.

Seattle: 3
Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsSEA #SeaKraken #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/RpZtQNS7Y1

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) January 25, 2025

The Kraken went up by a field goal at 13:06 of the third frame when forward Matty Beniers scored his 11th goal.

Lugging the puck from his own zone, Karlsson crossed the blue line and made an ill-advised backhand pass to the neutral zone that found the stick of Kraken forward Kaapo Kakko. With Karlsson falling to the ice on the clumsy sequence, Kakko initiated a two-on-one rush with Beniers against Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. With Grzelcyk offering minimal resistance, Kakko slid a pass from the left circle to the opposite circle where Beniers easily swiped a one-timer past the glove of a beleaguered Blomqvist. Kakko had the only assist.

Seattle goal!

Scored by Matty Beniers with 06:54 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Kaapo Kakko.

Seattle: 4
Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsSEA #SeaKraken #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/penejazCmv

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) January 25, 2025

Making 21 saves on 25 shots, Blomqvist’s record fell to 3-7-0.

“We had our chances,” Blomqvist said to reporters in Seattle. “We just need to find a way to get the puck in the net.”

Notes:

• Imama became the 25th player in franchise history to wear No. 14 in a game of consequence for the franchise. His predecessors (via PittsburghHockey.net):

Billy Dea, Rick Kessell, Ron Snell, Lowell MacDonald, Rene Robert, Wayne Bianchin, Nick Libett, Doug Shedden, Dan Quinn, Chris Kontos, Bryan Erickson, Jock Callander, Gordie Roberts, Dave Tippett, Brad Lauer, Stu Barnes, Pat Falloon, Milan Kraft, Shane Endicott, Christopher Minard, Chris Kunitz, Tanner Pearson, Stefan Noesen, Mark Jankowski

• To make room for Imama on the NHL roster, rookie defenseman Owen Pickering was assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

• Nieto appeared in his 700th career game.

• Penguins forward Anthony Beauvillier appeared in his 600th career game.

• Penguins defensemen Ryan Graves and Ryan Shea returned to the lineup after being healthy scratches for several games in recent weeks. Shea had been a healthy scratch for the previous 11 contests.

• Defenseman P.O Joseph was the Penguins’ lone healthy scratch.