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Evgeni Malkin Saturday, at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Pa.
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Malkin has other ideas about Reaves’ role

Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Malkin has other ideas about Reaves’ role

The Penguins acquired Ryan Reaves this summer at least partially to protect franchise centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

While both are thrilled to have Reaves in Pittsburgh – the three of them plus Phil Kessel played basketball together Thursday and held some sort of shooting competition – Malkin had another directive for his new teammate.

One probably more in line with the Penguins’ identity.

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"We want him to score goals," Malkin said Saturday at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex, "not fight."

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How about a little bit of both?

After all, Reaves will fight. It's inevitable. He’s probably the best in the NHL at it. But the point Malkin was making during his lengthy, beginning-of-camp scrum was that we'd be foolish to expect that and only that from Reaves.

"We don’t feel like every game he needs to protect us," Malkin said. "I can protect myself. I’m ready to play a hard game against Philadelphia or Columbus. I want him to play his game. He’s a good player. I think he can score a couple goals."

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The Penguins could even try Reaves on Malkin's line a time or two to switch things up, although that hasn't happened yet.

What has: Malkin doing basically everything thus far in camp with Kessel, who's sporting longer, shaggier hair that he had absolutely no interest in discussing Friday.

"He looks younger," Malkin said of Kessel's new flow. "I like it so much better. He looks so fresh. He’s smiling every day. He looks amazing. I’m excited to play with him."

Presumably Malkin means hockey, although basketball has emerged as an early theme of camp, because of pictures that surfaced with Crosby, Malkin, Kessel and Reaves goofing around, Malkin taking what appears to be a layup that he may or may not have flipped between his legs.

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Turns out Malkin was a pickup regular as a kid growing up in Russia.

"Growing up, I played outside my home with my friends," Malkin said. "We'd play hockey, table tennis, volleyball and basketball. I’m pretty good, I think. I’m not a big jumper. ... But growing up, I would shoot every day."

Malkin scored a couple of times during a scrimmage Saturday – goals, not 3-pointers – the prettiest being his first when he drifted backward into open ice and shot high blocker, a play he made look so easy that it's almost unfair.

Although he said he didn't skate a ton this summer, Malkin has returned to Pittsburgh in tip-top form, his timing absolutely there. The legs are coming, Malkin said, but it's hard to watch him and find much fault.

"Hard practices [Friday] and [Saturday]," Malkin said. "We skated a lot in the scrimmage. It’s hard, but I like it. I feel every day is better. I want to be better every day. I think I will be ready for the first game."

Provided, of course, he doesn't crash into Chris Summers again. The two met in the corner Saturday, Malkin awkwardly, and he sat out a couple of shifts.

No worries, though. It's not as though Malkin plans to change his game.

While discussing some of what the Penguins are asking out of Kris Letang, the 31-year-old Malkin admitted that it's too hard to do it midstream.

"When you play, you go to corners, you don’t think too much. You just play," Malkin said.

Having two short summers in a row will challenge the Penguins from a rest perspective, and Malkin said he's prepared to do whatever possible to maintain freshness.

He's hopeful, too, that coach Mike Sullivan may even shake things up by curtailing some practices early and canceling others altogether.

"We understand it’s a hard schedule," Malkin said. "We’ve had two short summers. I know we need to be smart, maybe a short practice and a little bit more rest. Coach will change a little bit maybe, I don’t know. Maybe he’ll give us a few more days off. I think we’re OK. We’re still excited to play. We’re still hungry. It’s more fun when you win."

Jason Mackey: jmackey@post-gazette.com and Twitter @JMackeyPG.

First Published: September 16, 2017, 4:23 p.m.

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