The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin in Game 1 against the Washington Capitals
For the third consecutive postseason, the Pittsburgh Penguins will face the Washington Capitals in the second round. The Pens have gotten the best of the Caps throughout their postseason history. However, this year, things could be different. Teams and players change. One thing’s for sure though – the Penguins will have to play Game 1 without Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin.
Both forwards didn’t skate with the team during Wednesday’s practice before Thursday’s Game 1.
Sullivan: Malkin will travel to Washington; Hagelin will not. They will each be out tomorrow. #Pens
— Wes Crosby (@OtherNHLCrosby) April 25, 2018
It sounds like Malkin is a possibility to play in Game 2 as he’ll be traveling to Washington. However, Hagelin seems like he’ll be out for a while. During Wednesday’s practice, just like in Game 6 against the Philadelphia Flyers, Riley Sheahan will step up to the second forward line to replace Malkin. Dominik Simon will be replacing Hagelin and will flank Sheahan on the left-wing.
Here’s a quick look at how their lineup looked during Wednesday’s practice.
Jake Guentzel – Sidney Crosby – Patric Hornqvist
Dominik Simon – Riley Sheahan – Phil Kessel
Conor Sheary – Derick Brassard – Bryan Rust
Zach Anton-Reese – Carter Rowney – Tom Kuhnhackl
Impact
Obviously, losing Malkin hurts the Penguins quite a bit. The second line, though it still features Phil Kessel, is noticeably weaker without him. Sheahan is better suited for a third-line or fourth-line role, but he’ll be forced to replace Malkin. It should be interesting to see how the Capitals match up against the Crosby line, knowing there’s no Malkin to worry about.
Washington has to capitalize without the Penguins’ second best player in the lineup. Especially since it appears Malkin will at least be an option to play in Game 2. Getting out to a 1-0 lead in the series is critical for the Capitals, who must find a way to put pressure on Pittsburgh early in the series.
Hagelin was one of the Penguins top penalty killers during the regular season, averaging well over two minutes shorthanded per game. He’s also one of their fastest forwards and he has a track record of success against the Capitals.
While Simon should do a solid job replacing Hagelin, he doesn’t quite have his speed.
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