Christmas is finally here, but if you were to ask Penguins fans what they think their team deserves from Santa, they would tell you coal. The team is really slumping having lost 9 of their last 10 games, going 1-5-4 in this recent stretch and it has not been pretty.
The team most nights looks lifeless and like they do not want to be out there and like they just want to be on their couches at home doing nothing. They have seemed to start slow and always get down a goal or two early and can just not recover.
They have been without second-line center Evgeni Malkin and fourth-line center Blake Lizotte for a few weeks now which has not helped the team. They seriously miss Malkin as the veteran that is part of the core three really helped drive the second line with him, Anthony Mantha, and Justin Brazeau on it for a while earlier in the season.
Malkin is also a key part of the Penguins top powerplay unit and they miss his presence there as well. Mantha has been filling in for Malkin on the top powerplay unit and it has not gone as smoothly as the Penguins were hoping for.
But with Malkin being out for a few weeks already and the Christmas break being a few days, it seems like the Russian forward should be back sometime soon. Malkin will not help all the goal scoring woes, but he will help a lot in the play-driving department and the powerplay.
It cannot be understated how much the Penguins need Malkin back and playing everyday again. They have had to use Kevin Hayes as fourth-line center and on the second powerplay unit. They also now have used Tommy Novak as the second-line center when he plays better on Sidney Crosby's wing.
Once the Penguins are able to get Malkin back in the lineup and playing on a daily basis again, things should go back to normal, and the Penguins should be banking points on the regular. But until then, getting Malkin back is what they are asking Santa for this year.