Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin praises Pittsburgh fans; ‘People love sports here’

The Pittsburgh Penguins might be enjoying a strong season thus far, but franchise staple Evgeni Malkin was sure to praise the city’s overall sports culture after the team’s 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.

Malkin praised the fans who come to see the Penguins play, but was also sure to shout out the playoff-bound Pittsburgh Steelers.

“Love our fans. Always amazing to play at home. Thanks to all the fans…,” Malkin told Pens Inside Scoop. “Steelers play Monday. People love sports here. Good luck to Steelers, too, as well.”

The Steelers are set to take on the Houston Texans on Monday in their AFC Wild Card showdown and have aspirations of reaching their first Super Bowl in over a decade.

Meanwhile, Malkin and the Penguins currently boast a 21-12-9 record that has them firmly in the chase for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The three-time champion has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh and had missed the team’s previous 15 games due to injury before Thursday.

His return was a welcome sight, but the 39-year-old chose to focus on the club’s win instead of his first game back.

“More fun when you win,” Malkin told Brandon Karafilis of NHL.com. “You see every line play amazing. Now, we have depth, all lines. Everybody back. No injuries. (Stuart) Skinner played amazing. Power play work, penalty kill work. Stay focused. Just play right. We know we have good guys here, a good group. We know how we play. Just have fun every night.”

The Penguins will host the Calgary Flames on Saturday night.

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