UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Putting Evgeni Malkin in the Penguins' lineup for Game 3of their opening-round playoff series against the New York Islanders tonight will be a "game-time decision" Mike Sullivan says.
The eye test and the evidence say otherwise.
Malkin looks very much like he'll be in uniform at Nassau Coliseum this evening.
He skated in his regular spot between Jason Zucker and Kasperi Kapanen during line rushes and worked on the No. 1 power=play unit during the Penguins' game-day skate at Nassau Coliseum.
Malkin looked particularly mobile and nimble, a point reinforced by a wraparound goal he scored during one drill.
"Obviously, (his return would be) huge for our team," Teddy Blueger said. "The player he is, is a complete game-changer. To add him to our lineup, I think, could go a long way. We know how well he's played and how much he's done for us over the course of the whole season."
This would be the first appearance of the series for Malkin, and the impact if his return goes far beyond simply adding a potential difference-maker to the lineup.
Having him allows the Penguins to drop Jeff Carter to the third line, restoring the offensive balance they were seeking when they acquired Carter from Los Angeles.
"The three-headed monster that they have when Malkin plays, at center ice, they're pretty loaded," New York coach Barry Trotz told reporters after the Islanders' game-day skate. "You're going to have two Hall of Famers, and one that's pretty close."
So close that there's nothing more than the formality of submitting the lineup separating Malkin from joining the series.