Malkin: Penguins 'better start playing better' as tougher matchups loom

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin thinks his team better get its act together with matchups against a pair of Central Division titans next on the docket.

"Great teams coming up on our schedule," Malkin told The Athletic's Josh Yohe after Saturday's 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. "We better start playing better. Playing smarter. Playing harder. Time to regroup. Tonight? No good."

Pittsburgh is currently 2-3-0 on the campaign, with its losses coming against the Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and Blues - three squads who finished among the 10 worst teams in the league last season. The Penguins were outscored 14-7 in those defeats.

Malkin's squad has yet to take on a team that made the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, but that'll change when the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche come to town this week.

Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan also thinks something has to change after Saturday's setback against the Blues in which Pittsburgh was hampered by "an awful lot of" bad decision-making.

"We didn't play hard enough and we didn't play smart enough," he told reporters postgame, according to NHL.com's Michelle Crechiolo. "We got what we deserved."

Sullivan offered a curt "no" when asked if he could explain the Penguins' lack of urgency during the defeat, adding that he needed time to "digest" what he'd seen.

Malkin didn't have any answers for the Penguins' lacklustre play, either.

"This game was just bad," he said. "I'm frustrated."

The Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06 last season, but Malkin is doing his part to try and ensure that doesn't happen again. The 37-year-old leads the team with eight points in five outings and extended his goal streak to four games against St. Louis.

Pittsburgh will take on the Stars on Tuesday and the Avalanche on Thursday.