Malkin says Penguins 'mad at each other' following shutout loss

Evgeni Malkin was not mincing words following the Pittsburgh Penguins' latest stinker.

After a 4-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils, Malkin was asked to summarize what is wrong with the club's offense, and he offered a rather candid response.

"Everything," he told reporters. "We're not playing right. We're not working hard. I know it's tough right now. We're mad at each other."

Malkin also said the team's struggles extend beyond not finding the back of the net.

The Penguins maintain a winning record (10-7-0) despite dropping two straight, but that "success" has been buoyed by strong goaltending, mainly from Marc-Andre Fleury, but also Jeff Zatkoff in his limited playing time.

It's the lack of offense that's especially troubling, as a rather loaded Penguins roster is averaging a mere 2.03 goals per game.

As one expects, Malkin, Phil Kessel, Sidney Crosby, and Kris Letang sit atop the team's scoring list, but they're all producing far less than they're capable of through 17 games.

Malkin, however, remains confident the team can turn things around.

"It's (still) the beginning of the season" he said. "We need to stop, look in the mirror and start working."

The Penguins now have a couple days off before returning to game action Tuesday against Minnesota.