Malkin not practicing

Saturday, 23 February 2013 10:42

Written by Shelly Anderson

The Penguins are beginning practice at Southpointe. It appears to be an optional skate. Center Evgeni Malkin, injured in Friday's game against Florida, is not on the ice, along with several others.

That's not a surprise, given how hard he hit his back and head on the boards. We will get some sort of official update a little later, but it's unclear whether he has taken a neurocognitive test that would help spell out whether he has a concussion. The Penguins, you would expect, probably are looking at possible neck and back injuries, too.

Coach Dan Bylsma is among those not on the ice, although he is in the building. There are 13 players skating: forwards Chris Kunitz, Dustin Jeffrey, Zach Boychuk, Beau Bennett, Craig Adams, Joe Vitale and Tyler Kennedy; defensemen Deryk Engelland and Robert Bortuzzo; and goaltenders Marc-Andre Fleury and Tomas Vokoun. Also on the ice, as he has been, is defenseman Mark Eaton.