Crosby & Malkin Out — Penguins Face Playoff Crisis Against Dallas
Pittsburgh's two greatest icons are sidelined with injuries at the worst possible moment, leaving the Penguins to fight for postseason survival on their own.
Pittsburgh — The Pittsburgh Penguins are bracing for one of the most challenging nights of their season. Head Coach Dan Muse confirmed Friday that both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin — the two players who have defined this franchise for nearly two decades — will sit out Saturday's home clash against the Dallas Stars due to injuries.
The timing could hardly be worse. With just 10 games remaining in the regular season, Pittsburgh clings to second place in the Metropolitan Division by a razor-thin one-point margin over the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders. A single slip-up now could undo months of work and end the Penguins' quest to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2022.
"Both players are day to day."
— Coach Dan Muse, on Crosby and Malkin's injury statusCrosby, 38, was hurt in the first period of a gritty 4-3 shootout win in Ottawa on Thursday night. It is a lower-body injury — the same type that cost him nearly a month earlier this season after he played for Team Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics. While Muse stopped short of speculating on a longer timeline, losing Crosby for even a single game sends shockwaves through a locker room built around his leadership.
Malkin, meanwhile, is set to miss a third consecutive game. His upper-body injury first emerged following a loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on March 22nd and has shown no signs of letting up. For a veteran center still producing at a high level deep into his career, the absence amplifies just how thin Pittsburgh's depth truly is at this stage of the season.
📋 Key Facts
- Crosby suffered a lower-body injury in Pittsburgh's 4-3 shootout win in Ottawa on Thursday.
- Malkin is out for a third straight game with an upper-body injury sustained vs. Carolina on March 22.
- Both players are listed as "day to day" by Coach Dan Muse.
- Pittsburgh leads the Metro Division second spot by just one point over Columbus and NY Islanders.
- The Penguins have not made the playoffs since the 2021–22 season.
The schedule ahead is relentless. Pittsburgh travels to face the Islanders on Monday — a direct rival in the standings — before returning home to host the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. Back-to-back games against playoff-hungry opposition with two of your best players watching from the press box is the kind of test that separates genuine contenders from hopeful pretenders.
What's Next for Pittsburgh?
The Penguins' upcoming schedule is a gauntlet that will define their season. Three games in four days, two of which come against direct playoff rivals. The remaining roster must step up and compensate for the absence of two Hall-of-Fame-caliber players — a tall order even for a franchise with Pittsburgh's winning culture.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Stakes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 29 (Sat) | Dallas Stars | PPG Paints Arena | Without Crosby & Malkin |
| Mar 31 (Mon) | NY Islanders | UBS Arena | Direct playoff rival |
| Apr 1 (Tue) | Detroit Red Wings | PPG Paints Arena | Back-to-back |
For a franchise that has leaned on Crosby and Malkin since 2005, playing without both simultaneously remains a rare and unsettling experience. Yet this may be exactly the moment for the Penguins' supporting cast to prove they belong in the postseason conversation. Every shift, every period, every result in the coming days will carry enormous weight.
Pittsburgh's playoff fate hangs on a knife's edge. One thing is certain — the next ten games will tell us everything about whether this Penguins group has the resolve to keep a storied playoff run alive without their two biggest names.
Source: The Associated Press · Published March 28, 2026