Center Evgeni Malkin is not participating in the Penguins' game-day skate at the Verizon Center, and is not expected to play when they face the Washington Capitals there at 7:08 tonight.

Malkin has missed three of the past four games because of a bruised right foot

A big, but not unexpected loss for tonight, but better to get him all healed up for the stretch run.  Obviously this puts a lot of pressure on centers Sidney Crosby and Jordan Staal to eat up a lot of minutes and produce some offense.

The Caps, ironically, also have a case of "friendly fire", one of their better players in Brooks Laich is out tonight after being hit in the face by a puck from John Carlson during practice yesterday.  It's not quite like losing an Art Ross winner, but Washington's feeling the pain a little bit too.