CRANBERRY, Pa. -- The Penguins have played 78 games now this season.
They've only had a full complement of their top four centers -- Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jeff Carter and Teddy Blueger -- for 21 of those games.
They should play game No. 22 with their full group of centers Saturday in Detroit.
Carter, after leaving Thursday's win over the Bruins in the third period with a lower-body injury, was a full participant in practice, and Mike Sullivan said afterward that Carter would be good to go for the game against the Red Wings.
Saturday will also mark the end of Malkin's four-game suspension, served by missing both home-and-home series against the Islanders and Bruins.
Suspended players are still permitted to be with the team and practice in the NHL, so Malkin was still around while serving his suspension. But with Malkin reclaiming his spot on the second line and on the top power play unit in Friday's practice at the Lemieux Complex, there just seemed to be an extra boost of energy that he brought, in part due to the ultra-competitiveness and exaggerated celebrations that have become typical of him in some of these practice drills.
His teammates are glad to have that back.
"You miss Geno, the confidence that he brings" Brian Dumoulin said. "He was out for a game before and came back and played against the Red Wings last time. That was one of his best games this season. I mean, he was flying, and you can tell how badly he wanted to be back out there. It's fun to watch when he's going."
Dumoulin's referring to last month, when Malkin missed a game against the Rangers with a non-COVID illness. He was back in the lineup two days later against Detroit, and recorded a hat trick and an assist in the Penguins' 11-2 win over the Red Wings.
Brock McGinn said the Penguins are "obviously a better team when (Malkin) is in our lineup."
"I think he brings so much skill to our group, on our power play," McGinn said. "His playmaking abilities are almost the best out there. He's dangerous and we're glad to have him back."
Based on Thursday's line combinations, the top-six will remain unchanged otherwise, with Malkin slotting in alongside Bryan Rust on the second line. Jason Zucker figures to be his other winger. Zucker missed practice with a non-COVID illness, though Sullivan said afterward that Zucker would be making the trip to Detroit. Evan Rodrigues skated on the second line instead, likely as a placeholder for Zucker once he returns.
That partnership with Rust is one that Sullivan is looking to keep intact, and not just because of how well Rickard Rakell has meshed on the top line with Crosby and Jake Guentzel. Sullivan called Malkin's play at five-on-five over the course of the season "sporadic," and thinks that putting Rust on that wing is one way to help Malkin.
"There's been times when (Malkin) has been really good (at five-on-five)," Sullivan said. "I think his best games were when he was playing with Rusty. I think Rusty brings a certain dimension to that line that that helps Geno and whoever we have on the other flank with them be effective. I think Rusty's speed helps his ability to get on the forecheck, his defensive awareness, his play away from the puck. He has good offensive instincts. So I think Rusty's presence on that line certainly helps Geno."
One area in which Malkin's play hasn't been "sporadic" is on the man advantage. Malkin leads the Penguins in rate of power play goals scored, averaging 3.39 goals per 60 minutes of power play time, quite a jump from Rust in the No. 2 spot at 2.78. Malkin's shooting percentage on the power play is 20.5 percent, the leader among all Penguins players with more than 10 shots on the power play this season.
"His impact on the power play is significant," Sullivan said. "You know, Geno adds a dimension to our power play. He just adds a level of unpredictability. He's got a bomb of a shot for a one-timer. He's just such a threat. I think he opens up opportunities for others away from him. His instinctive play I think creates a certain amount of unpredictability with respect to our power play that makes it harder to defend."
"We're a better team when he's in our lineup," Sullivan added.
MORE FROM PRACTICE
• As noted above, Zucker missed practice with a non-COVID illness but will be traveling to Detroit. Carter is also fine after leaving Thursday's game with a lower-body injury.
• Other than Zucker, everyone else was in attendance for practice. They used these lines and pairings:
Jake Guentzel - Sidney Crosby - Rickard Rakell
Evan Rodrigues - Evgeni Malkin - Bryan Rust
Danton Heinen - Jeff Carter - Kasperi Kapanen
Brian Boyle - Teddy Blueger - Brock McGinn
Brian Dumoulin - Kris Letang
Mike Matheson - Chad Ruhwedel
Marcus Pettersson - John Marino
Nathan Beaulieu - Mark Friedman
• The top power play was Kris Letang, Malkin, Crosby, Rust, Guentzel
• The second power play was Mike Matheson, Danton Heinen, Carter, Rakell, Rodrigues
• Sullivan reflected on the loss of Guy Lafleur, who passed away at age 70 on Friday morning after a battle with lung cancer.
"I remember watching him as a kid growing up as a Bruins fan," Sullivan said. "What I can tell you is I wish he was on the Bruins. He was just an incredible player to watch, he was one of those guys when you play street hockey in your driveway and you're trying to emulate which player you're going to be, he was one of the guys that you wanted to be. As as a kid growing up in Boston, we saw a lot of him obviously with the rivalry between the Bruins and the Canadiens. It's hard to articulate in words what he's meant to hockey."
Sullivan also noted the loss of Mike Bossy, who also died after a battle with lung cancer last week.
"They are two players that just have meant so much to the game," Sullivan said. "Two players that I always idolized as a young kid growing up and watching. We grieve with their families and their respective organizations for everything they're going through. But those two players in my mind were two of the greatest players of all-time, and I have lots of fond memories of watching them as a kid."
