The Pittsburgh Penguins have placed center Evgeni Malkin on injured reserve due to an upper-body injury, marking his fourth consecutive game missed. Malkin was a late scratch before the Penguins' game against Columbus, where he had participated in the morning skate but did not join the pregame warmups. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan indicated that the move to IR was procedural to enable the activation of forward Philip Tomasino, with Malkin currently labeled as day to day.

Malkin's absence has been felt, as he had been a consistent player, with a streak of 209 consecutive games prior to his injury—ranking as the 12th-longest in the franchise's history. The team is 1-1-1 without him during this stretch. This season, Malkin reached significant milestones, scoring his 500th career goal and achieving 1,300 NHL points, with a tally of eight goals and 24 assists across 41 games played.

Additionally, Sullivan reported that Malkin's linemate, Michael Bunting, was involved in a car accident near PPG Paints Arena before the game against Tampa Bay. Fortunately, Bunting is alright but did not participate in the game. He has contributed 13 goals and 12 assists in 43 games this season, highlighting the impact of both players on the Penguins' lineup.