Evgeni Malkin said the Pittsburgh Penguins most recent OTL is fully on him. The Christmas break has come and gone and the unofficial ‘second half’ of the season is here for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The team returns to the ice, however, with a less-than ideal schedule; over the next seven days, the Penguins will play four games including one outside at Fenway Park. While the Winter Classic is a week away and sure to be a memorable match against the Boston Bruins, the road to get there isn’t easy. The Penguins come out of the break and immediately have games in back-to-back nights; first visiting the New York Islanders, then back at home to take on the Detroit Red Wings. Those two teams aren’t the fiercest of competition, but the Penguins have struggled with back-to-back situations this season, especially in the second halves. Up to this point, the Penguins are 2-4-1 in the second half of back-to-backs and are hoping to find some rhythm after their time off. Not only would they like to be successful in both halves of a back-to-back, but they also want to return to the ice much better than how they left it. The last time the Penguins were seen on the ice, it was an overtime loss that left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth. Both Evgeni Malkin and head coach Mike Sullivan were displeased with Malkin’s decision making in the overtime period. Malkin lost his point streak and took full responsibility for the team’s defeat; everyone knows Malkin can do much better, and surely he’ll want to come back with some fire. One of the most notable games of any NHL season is right around the corner for the Penguins, and while still one of the best records in the league, they want to come out of the break much better than how they went into it. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more!https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-brock-mcginn-career-season 3 Things to Watch: Penguins vs. Islanders [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-3-things-watch-new-york-islanders] Penguins' Rivalries with Hurricanes, Rangers Reaching New Intensities [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/pens-talk/pittsburgh-penguins-hurricanes-rangers-rivalries-reach-new-intensities] Flavell's Five Thoughts: Penguins At the Break [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-flavells-five-thoughts-break] Penguins Confident They Can Hit Another Level After Break [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-confident-hit-another-level] Brock McGinn Is Giving the Penguins a Career Season [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-brock-mcginn-career-season] * undefined * undefined
