Pittsburgh Penguins injury updates: Evgeni Malkin practices, Sidney Crosby doesn’t

The 2011 NHL All-Star Game was an outstanding success and a nice snapshot of the 2010-11 season, but we cannot ignore the injury-related omissions of stars, including Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

Both forwards are dealing with injuries of varying severity, as Crosby fights off worrisome concussion issues while Malkin’s woes are more wear-and-tear related. (It appears that he might have some knee problem.)

Inside Pittsburgh Sports’ Will DePaoli reports that Malkin practiced today while Crosby did not. Crosby will miss his 10th straight game while it’s unclear whether or not Malkin will be able to play in Tuesday night’s game against the New York Rangers.

Who knows when Crosby might be able to return, but the all-star break could be a real boon for Malkin. The Russian forward played in a bunch of hockey games through the last few seasons, as he didn’t even take a full break over the summer, appearing in the World Championships in Germany.

Pittsburgh sat him after the team’s January 18th win against the Detroit Red Wings, meaning that he received at least two weeks of rest. Will that be a good enough breather for the struggling but sublime scorer? We’ll keep you up to date regarding the status of Pittsburgh’s two biggest stars as the team struggles to give the Philadelphia Flyers a run for the Atlantic Division crown.