Evgeni Malkin was among the Pittsburgh Penguins absent from the most recent practice.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are riding high with a five-game winning streak heading into a few crucial contests against Metropolitan Division opponents.

In a practice following their win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, there were multiple noticeable absences from the ice.

Most notably, forward Evgeni Malkin was not on the ice; following the skate, head coach Mike Sullivan stated Malkin missed because he wasn’t feeling well.

The coaching staff recommended Malkin stay home and work on getting better in time for the next contest against a tough New Jersey Devils opponent.

Forward Matt Nieto was also absent from the ice, but Sullivan stated it was just a maintenance day for him.

Defenseman John Ludvig and goalie Alex Nedeljkovic are working their way back from injuries, but to different degrees.

Sullivan stated that Ludvig will head to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for a conditioning stint as part of his process.

Nedeljkovic is making encouraging process and could be back as soon as Sunday.

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