Center Evgeni Malkin stepped onto the ice at Consol Energy Center Wednesday morning and moved somewhat tentatively, taking some strides and making several turns in front of the Penguins' bench.
It was his first time on skates since Feb. 10 knee surgery, but it wasn't a formal part of his recovery. He was in uniform for the annual team photo, taken before the Penguins practiced without him.
"He is doing very well," coach Dan Bylsma said of the former NHL scoring champion and playoff MVP. "You'll get different opinions depending on who you ask. [Malkin] is coming back yesterday, according to [Malkin]. The doctor will say something different."
Doctors expect Malkin to be healthy for the start of training camp in September -- not for either of the Penguins' final two regular-season games this weekend or any playoff action.
The medial collateral and anterior cruciate ligaments in Malkin's right knee were torn Feb. 4 when he took a legal hit from Buffalo defenseman Tyler Myers.
Bylsma revealed that surgeons only repaired the ACL upon discovering that the MCL wasn't damaged as severely and could heal with rest and rehabilitation.
"He's working extremely hard," Bylsma said. "The fact that they didn't have to repair his MCL has allowed him to accelerate what he can do in terms of rehab and strengthening.
"He's working diligently every day so he can prove himself right that he can come back yesterday."
Malkin had 15 goals, 37 points in 43 games. He got hurt in his first game back after missing five games because of a sinus infection and earlier was limited by a cranky left knee.
Forwards Sidney Crosby and Matt Cooke took part in a lightly attended optional practice.
Crosby, who also skated earlier in the morning, is allowed to join his teammates on the ice whenever the workout doesn't include contact as he recovers from a concussion.
Cooke is serving an extended suspension and has been skating separately from the team, often with Crosby and forwards Eric Tangradi and Nick Johnson, who also have been out of the lineup because of concussions.
It is not a form of in-house punishment for Cooke, however, because Bylsma does not want to manage more than five forward lines at practice.
"In terms of being with the team on a regular day, 15 forwards is right now the max we're going to skate with," Bylsma said. "That's a lot of forwards to have on the ice to begin with."
Cooke is eligible to play in the second round of the playoffs if the Penguins advance that far.
The others in the optional practice were forwards Tangradi, Mark Letestu, Chris Conner, Mike Comrie and Eric Godard, and defensemen Deryk Engelland and Ben Lovejoy.
It might have looked as if Lovejoy gave up on a play in the second period of the 4-2 win Tuesday against New Jersey. On the play which ultimately resulted in the Devils' tying goal, center Rod Pelley snagged the puck near the right corner of the Penguins' end and set up David Steckel.
Lovejoy had an explanation.
"I was going to beat the guy back to the puck to get the first touch for the icing, and, for some reason, they called it off," he said.
"The linesman yelled, 'Ice, ice, ice' the whole way. I'm trying to go back and get a touch.
"After I yelled at the linesman, he said that [goaltender Marc-Andre] Fleury made a play on the puck. I don't know."
To Lovejoy's relief, Pascal Dupuis scored just 1:03 later to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead.
"It was huge that he scored right away," Lovejoy said. "He bailed us out."
John Hynes of Penguins affiliate Wilkes-Barre/Scranton was named the American Hockey League's outstanding coach.
In his first season as a pro head coach and with three games remaining before the playoffs, Hynes has led the Baby Penguins to a record of 56-20-0-1, 113 points, best in the AHL this season and one of the best seasons in league history.
First Published: April 7, 2011, 8:00 a.m.
