Evgeni Malkin has lower body injury, out tonight vs. Sharks

Some bad injury news for the Pittsburgh Penguins, a team that didn't really need it. Superstar center Evgeni Malkin, the NHL's 2nd star of the month for November, left the Pens morning skate after about 10 minutes and will miss tonight's game against the San Jose Sharks, per coach Dan Bylsma.

Bylsma characterized Malkin's injury as "day-to-day" and didn't offer any other details, per the usual tight-lipped team policy of not disclosing details on injuries. The Pens could have badly used Malkin against the Sharks, who are up to #1 in the recent SB Nation power rankings.

It will be interesting to see how the Pens shuffle their lines. With Jayson Megna as a scratch lately for games, the team will still have 12 healthy forwards. Malkin's usual winger, James Neal, has been tearing it up lately, and the right winger on the top line, Pascal Dupuis, has not. If the Pens feel like it, they could load up a top line of Chris Kunitz - Sidney Crosby and Neal to try and maximize offensive output from the remaining skilled players.