Malkin doesn't think he'll be suspended for swinging stick at Raffl

Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin believes his impending hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety will merely result in a warning.

Malkin's under the microscope after he swung his stick at the head of Philadelphia Flyers forward Michael Raffl on Monday night:

"I didn't hit him in the face," Malkin told The Athletic's Josh Yohe. "If I had touched him in the face, for sure, I would get suspended. It's a high stick, but it's not like I broke his face. I think I won't get suspended."

Following the play, Malkin was given a five-minute major and was ejected from the game. Meanwhile, Raffl wasn't assessed a penalty despite appearing to punch the Pens center in the back of the head.

"It was a little bit dangerous," Malkin added of his stick swing. "But nothing real bad, I didn't think. It's my fault, for sure. The refs thought it was dangerous. Next time, I need to play smarter."

Monday was Malkin's first game since Jan. 30 after being sidelined with an upper-body injury. In 51 contests this season, the 32-year-old has recorded 56 points.