NHL teams
Scott Burnside, ESPN Senior Writer 8y

W2W4: New York Rangers at Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 2

PITTSBURGH -- Injuries remain the dominant storyline as the Pittsburgh Penguins look to go up 2-0 on the New York Rangers Saturday afternoon. Star players Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin and Henrik Lundqvist are all considered day-to-day, although all three took part in vigorous workouts Friday with their teammates. Lundqvist helped ease concerns that he might have suffered a serious eye injury in Game 1 on Wednesday by practicing Friday and, barring a setback with swelling around his right eye, it’s hard to imagine he won’t be in net for the 112th straight time in the playoffs for the Rangers.

“The way the stick hit me, I'm just very happy,” Lundqvist said Friday. “I feel lucky that nothing bad happened because for probably 20-30 seconds there, I had some really bad thoughts going through my head, just the way it all happened. It was very scary, actually. I was happy it's nothing serious.”

Fleury and Malkin are a little harder to assess, given the incorrect assumption that Fleury was going to be ready for Game 1. He wasn’t and Jeff Zatkoff, the Pens’ third-string goalie, got his first NHL playoff win in the Penguins’ 5-2 victory.

Head coach Mike Sullivan seemed optimistic about the progress both Malkin and Fleury were making but would not tip his hand as to whether one or both or neither will be in the lineup Saturday, saying only “it’s very encouraging.”

The Rangers do know they will be without Dan Girardi, who was injured in Game 1. He did not skate Friday and it looks like Dylan McIlrath will get his first taste of NHL playoff experience, although head coach Alain Vigneault said it’s also possible the Rangers will call up a defenseman from their American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford.

Malkin mystery: So, what do you do with Malkin? Not a bad dilemma for Sullivan as it becomes increasingly likely that Malkin is going to be back sooner than later in this series, perhaps as early as Saturday afternoon. On Friday, Malkin worked out on the team’s No. 1 power-play unit with Kris Letang, Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel and Patric Hornqvist, who had four points in Game 1.

The dilemma for Sullivan is how to deploy Malkin at 5-on-5. It seems counterintuitive to reinsert Malkin between Carl Hagelin and Phil Kessel, given the tremendous success and chemistry those two speedy wingers have enjoyed with Nick Bonino, who has played the second-line center role since Malkin was hurt.

In his second day of full on practice with his teammates since suffering what is believed to be a shoulder injury March 11, Malkin skated with Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust, who also has been injured.

“He’s one of probably a few players in the world that can change the outcome of a game single-handedly,” Sullivan said. “I think from my standpoint it just gives our coaching staff more flexibility and more options.”

Third line is bringing it: The Rangers' forward line of Eric Staal, Jesper Fast and Kevin Hayes combined for seven shots and zero points in a 5-2 loss in Game 1, but don’t expect Vigneault to be critical of that trio. In fact, it was his other forward units, including the top two lines centered by Derek Stepan and Derick Brassard, that he said need to pick up the slack if they’re going to even things up with the Penguins in Game 2.

Vigneault has been pleased with Staal’s assimilation after being acquired at the trade deadline from the Carolina Hurricanes, where he’d played his entire NHL career.

“I think he’s right where we need him to be,” Vigneault said. “He’s very vocal being a former captain. He’s brought the right leadership to help out our group. I think that line, Hayes and him and Jesper last game, they were our best line.

“I need more from Stepan’s line, I need more from Brassard’s line, there’s no doubt there. But I think [Staal has] fit in nicely,” Vigneault said. "I knew it was going to take some time. But that big body can wear down the opposition in a seven-game series and that’s what is going to continue to happen here."

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