The Pittsburgh Penguins are on the brink of elimination in their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers, who now hold a commanding 3-0 series lead. Amid the pressure of a possible early exit, Penguins star Evgeni Malkin opened up about something much bigger than this playoff run: his desire to finish his career in Pittsburgh.
Malkin Opens Up About Retiring a Penguin
Pittsburgh entered the series as the favorite after finishing second in the Metropolitan Division with 98 points (41-25-16), led, as usual, by Sidney Crosby and Malkin. Philadelphia also posted 98 points (43-27-12) but entered as the third seed and was largely viewed as the underdog.
Three games later, that script has completely flipped. The Flyers have dictated the series from the opening puck drop, taking Game 1 by a 3-1 score, Game 2 in a 3-0 shutout, and Game 3 with a convincing 5-2 win.
Now the Penguins need a victory in Game 4 just to keep their season alive and force a return to Pittsburgh for Game 5.
Despite facing elimination, Malkin made it clear the team hasn’t lost belief. “We understand the situation,” Malkin said. “You know it’s not easy. It’s tough, of course, but it’s not over. We can’t be in a bad mood because it’s not a help to us. We have great practice and work hard and ready to go tomorrow.”
A loss in Game 4 would complete a sweep and send the Flyers into Round 2, while Pittsburgh would be left facing a difficult offseason.
And for Malkin, that offseason could carry major significance. At 39, the veteran forward is nearing the end of his four-year, $24.4 million contract, and there’s currently no extension in place. Any negotiations are expected to wait until after the season, but Malkin has made one thing clear: he wants to return.
“I hope it’s not over. I hope we’re still fighting. And my future, like again, I say the same thing: I want to be here, I want to be part of the team next year, too, and I want to be retired in Pittsburgh,” he said.
Still, he acknowledged the decision may be out of his hands. “But it’s not my choice,” he added. “It’s Kyle’s decision and the new owners probably, too.”
Whether Pittsburgh brings Malkin back remains one of the franchise’s biggest questions.
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For now, though, the focus remains on Game 4 in Philadelphia, where the Penguins are fighting to keep both their season and perhaps this core’s story alive.