Evgeni Malkin missed his seventh straight game for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night, but the team is expecting to have the star back in the lineup soon.
According to CBS Sports, Malkin is getting closer to a return to the team after dealing with a lower body injury earlier in the month. Head coach Mike Sullivan said that Malkin is "closer to day-to-day" and that he has been able to stake on his own over the past week. Malkin should continue to make progress and the next step will be to rejoin the team in practice.
Sullivan said that Malkin will need to practice with the team before he can get back on the ice in the starting lineup. The Penguins have two games over the weekend and while there is a chance he could return for one of those games, it's more likely he will be back next week. The team has road games against the Sabres and Jets and Malkin could travel with the Penguins after missing the last road trip.
Malkin sat out against the Red Wings on Thursday, but that did not hurt the Penguins, as they won 6-3 over Detroit in the game. Phil Kessel had two goals for the team and Marc-Andre Fleury came through with 35 saves to earn the win. Malkin being out has not been a detriment to the team, as the Penguins have won four of the seven games he has missed and they have now gone 9-1-2 over the last 12 games they have played.
Sidney Crosby and Kessel played alongside each other on Thursday and while that could change once Malkin comes back, it was a winning formula for the Penguins against the Red Wings. Kessel has been playing well during Malkin's absence and that has helped the Penguins stay in playoff position in the Eastern Conference. Malkin has been very productive while on the ice this season and has 49 points in 49 games played, including 23 goals.