Evgeni Malkin will travel with the Penguins to New York for the road trip for Games 3 and 4, Mike Sullivan said on Wednesday before the team departed for the trip.
Malkin hasn't played since the regular-season finale. He appeared in the team's last four games of the regular season, returning to the lineup after being sidelined since March 16 with a lower-body injury.
Malkin has participated in the Penguins' practices over the last week, but hasn't taken line rushes or worked with the power play in that time. He's been getting in extended extra work with skills coach Ty Hennes either before or after practices, sometimes working with Hennes for 40-plus minutes.
The Penguins didn't practice on Wednesday before departing for New York, and Sullivan said that Malkin did not skate on his own either that morning.
Malkin traveling with the team doesn't necessarily mean that he'll play in Game 3 or 4, but it's an encouraging sign that he's making the trip.
Casey DeSmith, however, will not make the trip to New York. DeSmith suffered a lower-body injury in Friday's practice and hasn't skated since then. Sullivan said Saturday that DeSmith's injury is related to the lower-body injury that sidelined him for the end of the Penguins' regular season.
With DeSmith not making the trip, Max Lagace is expected to continue to be Tristan Jarry's backup.
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• Sullivan on Jeff Carter's impact: "He's had such a positive impact both on the ice and in the locker room. I've spoken about this frequently since we've had him. Just his demeanor, he's a guy that's just such an accomplished player. I know when he walks into our room our players have the utmost respect for what he's been able to accomplish in the game up to this point. He's a two-time Stanley Cup champion. I just think he brings our locker room a little bit more swagger. He's been there. When we get into the emotional environments like the game last night, he has a calm sense to him both on the bench, in between periods in the locker room that I think helps the overall group. He's really been such a positive influence on our team."
• Sullivan on the physicality of the series so far: "I think our team has responded extremely well. We're going to try to play the game that's going to give us the best chance to be successful. I think this physical play is the nature of playoff hockey. I don't know if you guys watch any other series, but I haven't seen a game in any other series that hasn't brought a physical dimension on both sides. Our series is no different than any other series that's going on in the league right now. The reason is that these teams want to win. The players that are involved are emotionally, physically, totally invested in trying to win games. The physical part of the game is I think a byproduct of that. Our series is no different than any other one. That's what makes playoff hockey exciting."
