With Malkin, Hagelin injured, Sheahan stands even taller

PHILADELPHIA -- When the Penguins shuffled out for the start of pregame warmups for Game 6 on Sunday, Sidney Crosby was the last player to step on to the ice.

That spot, of course, is reserved for Evgeni Malkin, who long ago established that he — and not the captain — would be the last player out of the locker room. That was the telltale sign that Malkin would not play in the Penguins' 8-5 victory at the Wells Fargo Center.

However, that wasn't the only injury the Penguins had to deal with in Game 6 — and possibly beyond.

Carl Hagelin left the game midway through the second period after taking a crushing but legal hit from Flyers captain Claude Giroux. Hagelin appeared to be bleeding from the mouth and did not return:

The hit so incensed the normally mild-mannered Phil Kessel that he challenged Giroux to fight on the spot. The Flyers captain declined the offer, and Kessel was penalized two minutes for roughing. Kessel has one fighting major in his career, five years ago with Toronto.

Hagelin, the speedy Swede and the fastest player on a team built on speed, scored at 7:17 of the first period on a nice centering pass from Kessel to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead which they later lost before pulling away:

Following Sunday's win, Mike Sullivan had no update on either player.

“All of our injuries throughout the course of the playoffs are day-to-day, so we’ll update you (media) on a daily basis,” Sullivan said. 

As they await the winner of the Columbus-Washington series, which the Capitals lead 3-2, the Penguins most likely will be given an off day Monday. Whenever they return to practice, we should have a better idea of the severity of Malkin's and Hagelin's injuries.

Despite their sizable absences, the Penguins were able to claw and scratch their way to their fourth win of the series to close out Philadephia's season.

"It’s tough," Riley Sheahan said. "I think those are two huge parts of our team. Geno, we rely on him to score goals and make plays. Haggy, same thing, a force for us on PK and he creates a lot of energy. We had a lot of guys step up and a lot of guys who played well. That was definitely important for us."

With Malkin out, Sheahan was elevated to second-line center, a role he rarely played this season, though he did play some at left wing. But he did have previous chemistry with Kessel, who he had worked with on the third line before the Penguins acquired Derick Brassard. Sullivan opted to keep Brassard on the third line with Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust.

With Sheahan centering Phil Kessel and Hagelin (and later Zach Aston-Reese), he picked up a secondary assist on Hagelin's goal and was a critical part of a Penguins penalty kill that held the Flyers to two shots on three power play chances.

"I thought he was terrific," Sullivan said. "Riley’s been such a valuable player for our team. We’ve cast him in so many different roles. He’s a talented kid, and he’s embraced the challenge of whatever we’ve put in front of him. Tonight, he jumps into that second-line role and plays with Phil. I thought Phil had a strong game.

"His line was really good, but I thought Riley was terrific, not just 5-on-5 but a big part of that 4-on-3 kill, won a lot of face-offs for us. Hard to play against, he’s an important player for us."

Indeed, Sheahan also added three blocked shots, two hits and won 50 percent of his faceoffs.

"Playing in this type of game, it's what we all prepare ourselves for," Sheahan said. "Playoff time is a lot of fun. So to be able to contribute and play in a game like that is great."

Malkin had been a game-time decision, but it was almost assumed that he would play after finishing out Game 5. He was injured late in the first period after an awkward fall while attempting to hit Flyers forward Jori Lehtera. Malkin left the game briefly but came back to play the final two periods.

Obviously, the Penguins' leader in goals (42) and points (98) was missed. The Penguins had just one power play chance, mustering one shot. In the Russian's place, Sullivan used Jake Guentzel.

The 23-year-old had a career day, scoring four goals and five points — all at even strength.

MATT SUNDAY GALLERY