ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Evgeni Malkin worked on the Penguins' No. 1 power play during practice Monday at the Honda Center. He skated between Jeff Carter and Kasperi Kapanen on the second line. He was actively involved in every drill, and seemed to actually relish the ones that included contact.
"It's like he never left," Kapanen said afterward. "It was good to see."
Malkin looked, in short, very much like a guy who is able -- and eager -- to claim a place in the lineup. Which he quite possibly will do when the Penguins face the Ducks here Tuesday at 10:08 p.m. Eastern time.
Mike Sullivan wouldn't commit to using Malkin against Anaheim, but for the first time this season said he expects Malkin to be a "game-time decision." He added that "we'll evaluate his progress here overnight. We'll make a decision tomorrow."
There's always the possibility of a setback, of course, but unless Malkin suffers one, he appears to be a good bet to make his first appearance in a game since undergoing knee surgery during the offseason.
"We're certainly encouraged with the progress that he's made," Sullivan said. "He's had a lot of preparation that's gotten him to his point. He's had a fair amount of full participation in practice. We've gotten him some scrimmage time, five-on-five. We've gotten him involved with the top power-play unit. So we've tried to check all the boxes, as far as his preparation process. He's worked extremely hard to get himself to this point."
The Penguins never announced a firm target date for Malkin to play, and Sullivan said his recovery has gone the way team officials expected.
"We were well aware of a ballpark timeframe when he would return to play, and he's right in that window," Sullivan said.
It's safe to assume that all of Malkin's teammates will be glad to have him back in uniform, but that might be more true of Kapanen than anyone else.
"I don't really know what it is," Kapanen said. "But ever since last year, when I started playing with him, I felt like my game elevated. It's pretty easy to play with a guy like (Malkin). A Hall of Fame career and one of the best to ever play."
That doesn't mean it's a surprise that his game jelled with Malkin's.
"They're both dangerous guys off the rush," Sullivan said. "(Kapanen) brings a ton of speed and skill, and his ability to shoot the puck. Sometimes, when you put players together, they develop instant chemistry. We've seen it with Sid (Crosby) and Jake (Guentzel), and we felt that when (Malkin) was with (Kapanen), it was a similar circumstance."
There's no guarantee those two can recapture that chemistry, just as it's impossible to predict how long it will take Malkin to get his game back to its customary level. Could take one shift. Or one week. Or one month.
"For some guys, it takes longer than others," Kapanen said. "But I think he's had injuries in the past before, so we'll see how he adjusts to this."
MORE FROM PRACTICE
• Backup goalie Casey DeSmith entered the COVID-19 protocol. Louis Domingue has been with the Penguins, and will serve as Tristan Jarry's backup. Sullivan was noncommittal about whether Jarry will start every game while DeSmith is out. "We're going to take each game as it comes and make decisions as we go," he said. "We have a long-term game plan penciled in, but we put it in pencil for a reason."
• The Penguins recalled forwards Radim Zohorna and Anthony Angello from their farm team in Wilkes-Barre and assigned forward Drew O'Connor, who had been in the COVID protocol, to Wilkes-Barre.
• Tuesday's game will be Danton Heinen's first in the city where he spent the previous two seasons. "I enjoyed my time here," he said. "It brings back some good memories."
• Personnel combinations:
Jake Guentzel-Sidney Crosby-Evan Rodrigues
Jeff Carter-Evgeni Malkin-Kasperi Kapanen
Zach Aston-Reese-Teddy Blueger-Danton Heinen
Kasper Bjorkqvist-Brian Boyle-Dominik Simon
Brian Dumoulin-Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson-John Marino
Mike Matheson-Chad Ruhwedel
Juuso Riikola-Mark Friedman
No. 1 power play: Crosby, Malkin, Guentzel, Letang, Rodrigues
No. 2 power play: Marino, Heinen, Carter, Simon, Kapanen.
