Evgeni Malkin will miss 2-3 weeks from the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup due to a shoulder strain.

Evgeni Malkin will miss 2-3 weeks from the Pittsburgh Penguins lineup due to a shoulder strain.

All Star Evgeni “Geno” Malkin will be out of the lineup for 2-3 weeks with a shoulder strain.

The Pittsburgh Penguins, who currently are in first place within the Atlantic division posting a league leading 10-2-0 record, will have to find scoring from a few other players in his absence. Malkin currently leads the team with 14 points, 4 goals and 10 assists.

Malkin’s greatest contribution thus far is on the power play, as out of his 14 points, 3 of his goals and 5 of his assists come from being one man up.

With solid play from Sidney Crosby, Alex Goligoski and the rest of the team, the absence will be missed, but not a severe detriment to the team. Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is on fire currently with a 9-1 record, posting a mere 2.07 goals against average and a .920 save percentage.

Look for the Penguins to take advantage of this loss by switching up the lines and creating even more deadly combinations from their offensive powerhouse that will benefit them later in the season.

Keep your money on the Penguins for the time being, they are not going anywhere but staying on top of the pack.