Without Evgeni Malkin, punchless Penguins fall to Sharks

With forward Evgeni Malkin sidelined due to an undisclosed injury, the Pittsburgh Penguins fell to the San Jose Sharks, 2-1, at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. on Monday.

Earlier in the day, the team placed Malkin on injured reserve. Via audio provided by the Penguins media relations staff, coach Mike Sullivan told reporters in San Jose that Malkin will be sidelined on a week-to-week basis.

Injured during the first period of a 4-1 road loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday, Malkin typically inhabits the center role on the second line and usually operates on the team’s second power-play unit. Entering Monday, Malkin was the team’s fourth-leading scorer with 34 points (nine goals, 25 assists) in 47 games.

At 38, Malkin is the oldest player on the team and isn’t nearly as potent of an offensive force as he was more than a decade ago when he was capable of winning scoring titles (as he did in 2008-09 and 2011-12). Yet, considering the Penguins’ limited overall depth, Malkin is an indispensable component of a threadbare roster struggling to stay in playoff contention.

His absence was offset a bit by the return of Bryan Rust, who returned to the lineup after missing one game due to an undisclosed ailment. Installed in his regular station as the right wing of the top line, Rust had an assist on the Penguins’ lone goal while logging 21:35 of ice time on 25 shifts. He also led the contest with seven shots on nine attempts.

With those comings and goings, the Penguins continued to struggle as Monday’s result was their 11th loss in their 14 games since New Year’s Eve (3-8-3).

Following a scoreless first period, ex-Penguins forward Mikael Granlund opened the scoring with his 15th goal of the season 7:41 into the second frame.

After Penguins forward Kevin Hayes won a defensive zone faceoff in the right circle, Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea claimed possession of the puck in the near corner and attempted to flip the puck out of the zone on his forehand. Those aspirations went askew, however, as Shea fanned on the attempt and wound up sending the puck to the top of the right circle where Sharks rookie forward Will Smith accepted that charity by immediately one-touching a pass to the opposite circle. Granlund took the puck, advanced lower in the circle and lasered a wrister to the far side over the stick of diving Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves and beyond the grasp of goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic. Smith had the only assist.

San Jose goal!

Scored by Mikael Granlund with 12:19 remaining in the 2nd period.

Assisted by Will Smith.

San Jose: 1
Pittsburgh: 0#PITvsSJS #TheFutureIsTeal #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/HyG3De6aq4

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) January 28, 2025

Only 24 seconds into the third period, Penguins forward Sidney Crosby struck with his 15th goal.

Settling a bouncing puck in his own zone, Crosby initiated a three-on-two rush with linemates Rickard Rakell and Rust against Sharks defensemen Cody Ceci and Jake Walman. As Crosby gained the Sharks’ zone on the right wing, Walman stepped up to apply pressure, prompting Crosby to offload a pass to Rust, who drove the puck to below the right circle. After Ceci knocked the puck away from Rust, Crosby regathered it below the circle and offered a backhander that entered the cage. Rust and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk generated assists.

Pittsburgh goal!

Scored by Sidney Crosby with 19:36 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Bryan Rust and Matt Grzelcyk.

San Jose: 1
Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsSJS #TheFutureIsTeal #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/HMavAgi9tg

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) January 28, 2025

Sharks rookie forward Macklin Celebrini, the top overall selection in the 2024 draft (19 years after Crosby entered the NHL with that designation) restored a lead for the hosts with his 16th goal at 3:41 of the third frame.

Crosby won a draw in his own right circle and the puck wound up in the near corner where Kris Letang collected it and fed a pass behind the cage to defensive partner Marcus Pettersson. Under a bit of pressure, Pettersson forced a pass attempt to the right half-wall intended for Rakell. Meandering between Pettersson and Rakell, Sharks forward Tyler Toffoli broke up the pass by deflecting the puck with his backhand, causing it to deflect into the right circle off of Rust’s backside. Toffoli claimed the puck and then fed a short-area pass between the lower hashmarks for Celebrini, who shuffled an immediate forehand shot past Nedeljkovic’s blocker. The lone assist went to Toffoli.

San Jose goal!

Scored by Macklin Celebrini with 16:19 remaining in the 3rd period.

Assisted by Tyler Toffoli.

San Jose: 2
Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsSJS #TheFutureIsTeal #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/w189oN8z85

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) January 28, 2025

The Penguins had an opportunity to tie the game again at 10:19 of the third, but Penguins forward Drew O’Connor was unable to convert a penalty shot during a Sharks power-play opportunity.

Yeah, not happening ???? pic.twitter.com/302WD9FkrE

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) January 28, 2025

“Had the opportunity to take the penalty shot and just have to find a way to put it in,” O’Connor said to reporters in San Jose. “Had a chance to tie the game up.”

A would-be goal by the Penguins at 14:46 of the final frame was nullified when the Sharks issued a successful coach’s challenge on the basis of goaltender inference.

Pittsburgh thought they had the tying goal but a San Jose goalie interference challenge says otherwise#LetsGoPens | #TheFutureIsTeal pic.twitter.com/HBFWchjdUF

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) January 28, 2025

“Do you know what goalie interference is?” Sullivan asked a reporter in San Jose. “Neither do I.”

Nedeljkovic’s record fell to 9-9-4 after he made 26 saves on 28 shots.

Notes:

• Penguins forward Blake Lizotte, typically deployed as the fourth-line center, was scratched for the third consecutive game due to an illness.

• Penguins forward Matt Nieto, also usually deployed on the fourth line, returned to the lineup after leaving Saturday’s game in the third period due to an undisclosed injury.

• Penguins forward Jesse Puljujarvi, recalled from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League earlier on Monday, was a healthy scratch. He was joined by P.O Joseph, a healthy scratch for the second consecutive game.

• O’Connor’s penalty shot opportunity was the first of his career and the first of the season for the Penguins.

• The Penguins have not scored on a penalty shot since forward Tom Kuhnhackl beat Buffalo Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner in a 4-0 road win for the Penguins, Dec. 1, 2017.

Since then, the Penguins are 0 for 7 in regular season penalty shot attempts:

• Before Monday, the only other penalty shot attempt by the Penguins against the Sharks was by forward Martin Straka, who was unable to score against goaltender Evgeni Nabokov in a 3-2 home win for the Sharks, Nov. 1, 2000.

• While the Penguins are embroiled in a three-game losing streak (0-3-0), the Sharks snapped a six-game losing skid (0-6-0).

• Former Penguins forward Colin White made his Sharks debut, opening the contest as center of the fourth line. White opened the season on an American Hockey League contract with the San Jose Barracuda then signed an NHL contract with the Sharks on Friday, agreeing to a one-year, two-way contract with a salary cap hit of $850,000.

White, 27, had a brief tenure with the Penguins last season, appearing in 11 games with no points before being claimed off waivers by the Montreal Canadien on Feb. 22.