Penguins Star Apologizes to Fans After Brutal Loss

After a brutal loss, one of the Pittsburgh Penguins star players issued an apology to the fans who watched.

Nov 7, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) and center Evgeni Malkin (71) skate up the ice against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images / James Guillory-Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Penguins were defeated in embarrassing fashion in a recent contest against the Dallas Stars, losing by a score of 6-1. The team surrendered those six goals in the first period and never recovered.

After a game like that, the Penguins know they must answer for it. Luckily, their veteran leadership took responsibility and the blame in stride. Following the loss, alternate captain and future Hall of Fame center Evgeni Malkin issued an apology to the organization's fans for their performance.

"We had a good meeting today with everybody," Malkin said after a recent practice. "We need to play better at home. Like, last night, I want to say sorry to the fans. They watched a really bad game. I hope we, together, find our way, win tomorrow and start building the team better."

Evgeni Malkin: "We had a good meeting today with everybody. We need to play better at home. Like, last night, I want to say sorry to the fans. They (watched) a really bad game. I hope we, together, find our way, win tomorrow and start building the team better."

— Pens Inside Scoop (@PensInsideScoop) November 12, 2024

While the Penguins have been struggling, the same can't be said for Malkin. In fact, the opposite should be stated for Geno, as he is probably the biggest and best surprise in Pittsburgh this year. The 38-year-old forward is still a high-level scorer in the NHL in his 19th season despite a yearly prediction that he will start declining. Through the first 17 games, he has five goals and 13 assists for 18 points to lead the Pens in scoring.

This season figures to be another notch on Malkin's Hall of Fame resume. He's played in 1,162 games already and recently joined the 500-goal club this season. He currently sits in 36th place on the NHL's all-time scoring list with 1,314 career points.

The Penguins need to find a way to match the production and determination Malkin is still bringing as a grizzled veteran. The team is sitting in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 6-9-2 through 17 games. They are just two points ahead of the last place Columbus Blue Jackets, but based on their recent play, the Pens might have a reservation for the basement of the division by season's end.

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