Good thing, because the Philadelphia Flyers would like nothing better than to wallop their rivals and deliver another blow to the Pens’ Stanley Cup playoffs future.
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Game time was 12:30 p.m. ET, and there’s no question the Penguins need Malkin. In addition to their stumbles in the past 10 games, they are 3-8-2 in games without Malkin this season.
Malkin is the yin to Sidney Crosby’s yang, the complement of a second elite center that makes the Penguins dangerous. He was skating this week in the final stages of recovery from a dreaded lower-body injury. He ruled out playing Saturday, in a loss that saw the Pens blow a two-goal lead.
Coach Mike Johnston also is watching progress by injured defenseman Christian Ehrhoff. Kris Letang continues to fight off his latest concussion, making the Pens paper-thin on defense. With productive players out of his lineup, Johnston can’t find a consistent core.
The Pens also said Sunday that tough winger Steve Downie would not play.
The Penguins are stuck in a third-place berth in the Eastern Conference playoffs. If the New York Islanders find their mojo, the Pens could be faced with securing a wild-card berth. So beating the Flyers is critical.
Also on the NHL schedule on Easter Sunday, each with playoff significance (all times ET):
Washington Capitals at Detroit Red Wings, 5 p.m.
Montreal Canadiens at Florida Panthers, 5 p.m.
Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs, 5 p.m.
St. Louis Blues at Chicago Blackhawks, 6:30 p.m.
