Malkin and Fleury practice, hope to play in Game 2
After a 5-2 win in Game 1, the Pittsburgh Penguins may be getting reinforcements. And that's bad news for the New York Rangers.
Evgeni Malkin, out with an upper-body injury, was a full participant in practice Friday, working on the first power-play unit. He ruled himself a game-time decision for Saturday's Game 2.
Malkin was/is expected to miss 6 to 8 weeks from his time of injury. Today marks the end of the fifth week. #Pens
— Wes Crosby (@OtherNHLCrosby) April 15, 2016
"I feel more confident now," Malkin said. "It's fun to skate with the team. I'm excited to play.
"I wanna play, you know?" he added.
#Pens rushes: Kunitz-Crosby-Hornqvist, Hagelin-Bonino-Kessel, Sheary-Malkin-Rust, Kuhnhakl-Cullen-Fehr.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) April 15, 2016
Meanwhile, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who watched Jeff Zatkoff play exceptionally well in Game 1, also took part in practice, but it appears the crease will still be Zatkoff's.
"I don't expect (to play), but I hope so," Fleury said. "It feels like it's been forever."
Fleury hasn't played since March 31, due to a concussion.
"They all had strong practices," head coach Mike Sullivan said. Status is still day to day, but it's very encouraging."