"You miss Geno and the confidence that he brings," defenseman Brian Dumoulin said.
As a generational talent and one of the best players of all time, Malkin was missed in all aspects of the game, especially on the power play - where head coach Mike Sullivan feels he adds a dimension and level of unpredictability.
"He's got a bomb of a shot for a one timer. He's such a threat. I think he opens up opportunities for others away from him," Sullivan said. "His instinctive play, I think, creates a certain amount of unpredictability with respect to our power play that makes it harder to defend."
Injuries, illnesses - both COVID and non-COVID related - and Malkin's recent suspension have forced the coaching staff to shuffle the forward trios throughout the season, so the players have learned to adjust to playing with different linemates. In Sullivan's eyes, Malkin is at his best when he's playing alongside Bryan Rust, who was on his wing at today's practice.
"I think Rusty brings a certain dimension to that line that helps Geno and whoever we have on the other flank with them, be effective," Sullivan said. "I think Rusty's presence on that line certainly helps Geno 5-on-5. In my opinion, the best games that Geno's played this year have been with Rusty."
Just a few weeks ago, Malkin missed a road game against the New York Rangers due to a non-COVID illness, but he returned to the lineup the following game in typical Geno fashion - with a hat trick that contributed to an 11-2 victory over the Red Wings. Maybe that could be a sign of things to come tomorrow, seeing as the Penguins are playing that same opponent.
"I thought that was one of his best games of the season. He was flying, and you could tell how badly he wanted to be back out there," Dumoulin said. "It's fun to watch when he's going,"
The Penguins haven't had all four of their top centers in the lineup together very often this year. So with Malkin back, Jeff Carter good to go after leaving Thursday's 4-0 win over Boston, and Teddy Blueger his usual steady self, Sullivan is looking forward to the opportunity to get some consistency down the middle heading into the final four games of the regular season.
"We're looking forward to putting some line combinations together that give us the balance that we need that make us hard to play against," Sullivan said. "We're not really looking ahead here. We're trying to win the game right in front of us. Right now, our focus is on Detroit, and we're going to do everything within our power to try to win that game."
