Sidney Crosby's long-time teammate Evgeni Malkin lifts the lid on his Pens future amid rumors of franchise breaking up core

By Abhilasha Aditi

Modified Nov 20, 2024 14:28 GMT

Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins have had a tough start this season. The Penguins with a 6-9-3 record, are 6th in the Metropolitan Division and have the worst goal differential in the conference. This has led to talks about breaking up the team’s core.

However, General Manager Kyle Dubas has made it clear that a full roster overhaul is unlikely. According to Rob Rossi of The Athletic, Crosby, Malkin and Bryan Rust are considered "untouchable" and won’t be part of any trade talks.

Amid these rumors, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby’s long-time teammate, spoke about his commitment to the team. Malkin’s words show his loyalty to Pittsburgh and his wish to keep playing with Crosby and defenseman Kris Letang.

Malkin referred to Pittsburgh as his “second home,” expressing a strong connection to both the team and the city.

"It's my second home here. I'm glad to be here. Doesn't matter what (happens), we win or we lost, I want to be here. Always together, with Sid, with Tanger," Malkin said.

The trade of Lars Eller has raised questions about possible future moves.

"We understand it’s a tough time right now. We trade Lars yesterday. Again, I want to stay together. We play hard tonight and we will fight every game. Tough time, but we are together," Malkin added.

Both Malkin and Sidney Crosby have made it known they want to give their all to Pittsburgh, even during tough times.

Sidney Crosby remained goalless as Penguins lost in OT

The Detroit Red Wings beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in overtime at PPG Paints Arena. Simon Edvinsson scored the winning goal with a wrist shot 1:30 into overtime. Earlier, Cam Talbot denied Evgeni Malkin's breakaway chance just seconds before Edvinsson’s goal.

Detroit scored first in the second period. Jonatan Berggren took a pass from Vladimir Tarasenko and scored with a wrist shot, making it 1-0. Patrick Kane extended Detroit’s lead to 2-0 on a power-play one-timer.

The Penguins responded with Bryan Rust’s goal at 7:19. Rust carried the puck down the left side and slipped it past Talbot. Anthony Beauvillier tied the game at 2-2 in the second period, scoring from a sharp angle.

Sidney Crosby had one assist and six shots but did not score. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan appreciated the team’s effort, especially after their tough 7-1 loss to Dallas on Monday.

“We’re obviously disappointed we didn’t get the win,” Mike Sullivan said. “But I thought our guys played hard. I think there’s a lot of reasons for optimism. We get down 2-0 in the game, we climb back in it, we get two goals. That was the response."

The Penguins have lost 10 out of their last 13 games this season.