CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- The Penguins won a Stanley Cup last spring without their top defenseman. They've played recent postseason series without their starting goaltender. They can get by.
At least that's what the Penguins were saying Wednesday when Evgeni Malkin and Carl Hagelin, two of their top six forwards, were officially ruled out for tomorrow night's Game 1 of their second-round series against the Capitals.
The Penguins certainly got by OK without Malkin and Hagelin in Game 6 against Philadelphia, scoring eight goals in eliminating the Flyers on Sunday.
"Obviously you lose a scorer like (Malkin), it’s not good for your team, but we have a lot of capable guys in the room who have stepped up all year," Conor Sheary told me. "I think we showed last game that we’re able to win without him. He obviously helps a lot when he’s in there, but we definitely have capable guys who can step up."
Mike Sullivan said both injured players skated on their own before their teammates took the ice Wednesday at the Lemieux Sports Complex. He added that Malkin will accompany the team to Washington, leaving open the possibility that he could return for Game 2 at Capital One Arena. The date and time of Game 2 have yet to be announced, but it likely will be either Saturday or Sunday, depending upon the conclusion of tonight's first-round series between Boston and Toronto.
Wednesday was the second straight day that Malkin and Hagelin missed practice with their respective lower- and upper-body injuries. Malkin was injured in Game 5 of the first round against Philadelphia, while Hagelin was injured in Game 6 against the Flyers.
With Malkin out, Riley Sheahan will center the new-look second line with Dominik Simon on the left wing and Phil Kessel on the right.
"We've got guys that are going to step up and step in the lineup and contribute," Kessel said.
• The lines and defense pairs:
Guentzel-Crosby-Hornqvist
Simon-Sheahan-Kessel
Sheary-Brassard-Rust
Aston-Reese-Rowney-Kuhnhackl
Dumoulin-Letang
Maatta-Schultz
Oleksiak-Ruhwedel
• Note: Matt Hunwick was working on a fourth D pair with assistant coach Sergei Gonchar.
• Simon and Zach Aston-Reese continued to split reps with the second power play unit along with regulars Derick Brassard, Sheary, Kris Letang and Olli Maatta.
• Crosby and Guentzel were rotating in and out of Malkin's spot on the top PP unit.
• About 15 minutes into Wednesday's session, Sullivan urged his players to "push the pace."
• The on-ice session lasted about 40 minutes.
• According to our Matt Sunday, after Casey DeSmith stopped Kessel in drills, the forward shot back at the backup goalie, “(Bleep) you Casey!”
• Jim Rutherford and Billy Guerin took in practice from their perch above the practice facility.
• I asked Sullivan about Jamie Oleksiak and the defenseman's decreased minutes in the postseason.
"We’ll utilize all our players the best we know how to help the team win," Sullivan said. "There’s lots of circumstances that are going to factor into each game, and each game is different. It all depends on how the games play out and what we see as a coaching staff, and we’ll make adjustments accordingly."
Oleksiak, playing in his first playoff action, was a minus-3 in Game 6 vs. the Flyers while seeing just 10:10, the fewest minutes of any Penguins defenseman.
• Sullivan gave high marks to Carter Rowney, who made his 2018 postseason debut in Game 6, his first game action since March 15. Rowney played 20 playoff games last spring, but injuries limited him to just 44 games this season.
Rowney played 8:39 — 2:46 of it shorthanded — while winning all four faceoffs he took on Sunday.
"He’s had some unfortunate injuries that didn’t allow him to establish any traction this year, but we still have hockey to play, and we know he can help us win," Sullivan said.
• Meanwhile the Capitals practiced Wednesday morning at their facility in Alexandria, Va. T.J. Oshie did not take the ice, and Travis Boyd skated in his spot as the second-line right wing.
• Capitals left wing Andre Burakovsky continues to be out following shoulder surgery. Barry Trotz said he is week to week but did not rule him out of the Penguins series. In 13 career playoff games against Pittsburgh, Burakovsky has four goals and an assist.
• According to The Washington Post, the Capitals practiced with the following lines and pairs:
Ovechkin-Kuznetsov-Wilson
Stephenson-Backstrom-Boyd (Oshie)
Connolly-Eller-Smith-Pelley
Vrana-Beagle-Chiasson
Kempny-Carlson
Orlov-Niskanen
Orpik-Djoos
QUOTABLE
"I think any time players are around other players that have success, it’s a great opportunity to learn for all of us. I think our young guys can watch how our veteran guys carry themselves, their approach, their mindset, their attention to detail, their willingness to control what they can to be successful. And that’s what it takes to optimize a player's individual career." -- Sullivan on success begetting success.
BY THE NUMBER
6/1: Odds that Penguins win Stanley Cup, per Bovada. That is the third-best odds behind only Nashville (4/1) and Tampa Bay (9/2).
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY