Penguins' Evgeni Malkin: Placed on injured reserve

Malkin (upper body) was designated for injured reserve Tuesday.

Malkin's injury was originally downplayed by head coach Dan Muse, who had initially said he believed Malkin might be available for Sunday's clash with Dallas. Now, the 39-year-old center is suddenly on injured reserve, which will cause him to miss at least Pittsburgh's next two outings. With Geno on the shelf, Kevin Hayes has been pressed into service as the Pens' second-line center.