Pittsburgh Penguins' forward Evgeni Malkin will face supplementary action for his slash to Buffalo Sabres' defenseman Rasmus Dahlin during Thursday's game between the two teams.
Already down their best player in Sidney Crosby, it appears the Pittsburgh Penguins will be down yet another one of their key players.
It was announced that veteran forward Evgeni Malkin would have a phone hearing on Friday at 6:00 p.m. ET with the NHL's Department of Player Safety for his slash to the head of Buffalo Sabres' defenseman Rasmus Dahlin during the second period of Thursday's game between the two teams. Malkin and Dahlin were assessed matching cross-checking penalties on the play, while Malkin was given an additional five minutes for slashing as well as a game misconduct.
Since the hearing will take place over the phone, per the CBA, Malkin's suspension will be no more than five games.
This news comes at a fragile time for the Penguins, who are holding on to second place in the Metropolitan Division without Crosby. Malkin is the team's second-leading scorer behind Crosby, and the line of Malkin, Egor Chinakhov, and Tommy Novak has been the primary driver of offense in Crosby's absence since the Olympic break.
The announcement also comes just before the NHL trade deadline, which is Friday at 3:00 p.m. ET. It remains to be seen whether Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas will add a center - an area of need for the Penguins, especially minus Crosby and Malkin - prior to the deadline.
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