If you told the Pittsburgh Penguins a month ago that they'd lose Evgeni Malkin for seven straight games in mid-February while the club was in the thick of a playoff race, they'd probably scoff, excuse themselves for a moment and then emanate sobs from the next room over.
NHL scores 2016: Penguins march on victoriously without Evgeni Malkin
These are the Penguins you were looking for.
Matt Kincaid/Getty Images
Truth is, Malkin was the tar keeping the Penguins' boat afloat for a good while this season while the team languished under the supervision of former coach Mike Johnston. Sidney Crosby (of all people) was invisible. Phil Kessel didn't know where to fit in yet. Kris Letang was quiet and battling injuries. Nothing clicked. Except for Malkin (and to a certain extent, Marc-Andre Fleury).
And now that Malkin is absent, the team keeps winning. That's all thanks to a resurgence in so many areas since Johnston's firing. Crosby finally looks free to do the magical things he does, and Kessel has adjusted so well he was able to contribute two goals in Thursday's win over the Detroit Red Wings even without Malkin centering him. Letang's great stretch is a package deal with Crosby's. And the depth scoring has finally stepped up as well.
When the Penguins started ticking upwards a few weeks ago, some skepticism was probably healthy. But I think their continued strong play without Malkin is the final proof we need to know the Penguins are back to normal.
Scores
Penguins 6, Red Wings 3
Rangers 4, Maple Leafs 2
Senators 4, Hurricanes 2
3 things we learned
1. The Jets have a major decision to make
It's no secret that the Winnipeg Jets are likely to trade their captain Andrew Ladd at the trade deadline in two weeks. Contract talks have stalled. It seemed imminent. But now that Bryan Little is out with an injury, whatever move the Jets make with Ladd sends a clear message to their team. If you keep him, you're bolstering the squad in Little's absence and saying there's hope left in the season. If you trade Ladd, you're punting the season. They have a little over a week to figure out what the message will be.
2. Never let Evgeny Kuznetsov work behind the net
Bad things happen.
3. The Coyotes have a pair of deadly rookies
OK, maybe you already knew this if you've watched a minute of Arizona hockey this year. But Anthony Duclair and Max Domi blitzed the Western Conference's best team on every single shift on Thursday. The Stars, one of the fastest teams in the league, had no answer for the duo's speed and tenacity. As a Coyotes fan, it must've been thrilling to watch. For everyone else in the league, it was terrifying.
Impact Moment
Yeah, Leo Komarov is getting suspended for this head shot on Ryan McDonagh.
McDonagh never returned, by the way.
.@AnaheimDucks Andrew Cogliano (679 GP) tied Henrik Sedin for 6th-longest consecutive GP streak in NHL history. pic.twitter.com/WMtoyQtlHc
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 19, 2016
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