Penguins Notebook: Crosby, Malkin Return To Practice Ahead Of Monday's Massive Game On Long Island

The Pittsburgh Penguins got some reinforcements at practice on Sunday.

Both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin returned to practice after missing Saturday's game against the Dallas Stars. Crosby left during Thursday's game against the Ottawa Senators with a lower-body injury and didn't return.

Malkin has missed the last three games with a lower-body injury he suffered during last Sunday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He took a shot off his hand and was trying to shake it off for the rest of the game. He finished that contest before the Penguins announced that he was day-to-day. 

Here's what the practice lines looked like on Sunday:

Forwards

Mantha-Crosby-Rakell

Chinakhov-Novak-Malkin

McGroarty-Kindel-Brazeau

Soderblom-Dewar-Koivunen

Defensive pairs

Wotherspoon-Karlsson

Girard-Letang

Shea-Clifton

- Ryan Graves and Ilya Solovyov were skating on a fourth pair with Jack St. Ivany. Bryan Rust and Noel Acciari missed practice due to maintenance days. Both players got a little banged up during Sunday's game.  

- Crosby and Malkin took contact during practice, but their status for Monday's game against the New York Islanders remains uncertain. Crosby traveled with the team to Long Island on Sunday, but nobody knows for sure if Malkin did yet. He stayed on the ice for a bit after practice ended. 

- If the Penguins can get both Crosby and Malkin back for Monday's game, it would go a long way towards their chances of securing two points. Heck, even if it's only Crosby who returns, it would be huge. This is a good team when healthy, but they've been banged up so much throughout the season that we haven't been able to see them at full strength for long stretches. 

Takeaways: Penalties Costly As Penguins Lose Key Game In Regulation To Dallas StarsThe Pittsburgh Penguins remain in a playoff spot by the skin of their teeth after a regulation loss to the Dallas Stars on Saturday.

- I'm going to say this in Monday's preview, but I'll say it here first: The game against the Islanders will be the Penguins' biggest game in two years. They're in the fight for their lives to make the playoffs, and a win would vault them into second place in the Metropolitan Division. It's one of their last divisional games of the season, and it comes with so much on the line. The Islanders are one point ahead of them going into this contest. 

- I'd like to see Justin Brazeau get going down the stretch. I know his hot start to the season wasn't sustainable, but he has scored only two goals in his last 21 games and hasn't scored since Mar. 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights. A big goal or two would go a long way for his confidence and the team as the Penguins try to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

- The Eastern Conference standings have gotten even tighter heading into this week. The Penguins are only one point up on the Columbus Blue Jackets and two points up on the Philadelphia Flyers. This is going to be an insane finish to the season before the playoffs start the weekend of Apr. 18. 

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