Malkin, Hagelin and Phil Kessel made up the team’s second-best scoring line, accounting for 12 goals scored and just two allowed this season. Skating without them, Kessel’s line has been outscored 13 to 16. Plus, with Malkin on the ice at even strength, the Penguins generate almost 10 scoring chances per 60 minutes, with a majority coming as high-quality chances from the slot or near the net. When Malkin is on the bench — or out of the lineup — those attempts from the slot almost vanish completely.

Sidney Crosby is one of the game’s best players, but his line has yet to pick up the slack. Over the past three games, the trio of Crosby, Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust have scored just one goal while allowing one. That line combo has also struggled to tilt the ice in their favor, allowing 20 shot attempts compared to just 15 attempts for Pittsburgh.

AD

AD

Defense appears to be the biggest concern for the banged-up Penguins. The defensive pair of Maatta and Daley allowed just 9.3 even-strength scoring chances per 60 minutes, second-lowest on the team, while outscoring their competition 27 to 17 in almost 500 minutes of ice time. But Maatta has missed time with a broken hand, while Daley’s been out while recovering from a late-February knee surgery. Pittsburgh’s also badly missed Letang, sitting with an “upper body injury.” With Letang on the ice, Pittsburgh outscored opponents and put 53.4 percent of shot attempts in its favor. Without him, his most frequent defensive partner, Brian Dumoulin, sees the team outscored and only breaking even on shot attempts.

Pittsburgh hasn’t been able to fall back on its goaltending either. Marc-Andre Fleury has been saddled with two of the losses during this four-game skid, stopping just 74 of 82 shots against (.902 save percentage). Fleury’s overall save percentage (.911) is also at its lowest since the 2009-10 season, leaving little room for upside. Matt Murray is performing far better over the course of the season (.923) but allowed five goals in the loss against the Philadelphia Flyers Sunday night.

Murray was stellar last postseason and he may have to be even better this go-round, because the Penguins’ path to another Cup has been made much harder by this recent slide.

AD

AD

With the Washington Capitals now seven points ahead with six games remaining, it’s all but certain the Pens won’t be able to catch them for the Metropolitan Division crown. And because of the NHL’s silly playoff format that pits the No. 2 and 3 teams in each division against one another, and the strength of the top three teams in the Metro, Pittsburgh is almost sure to have one of the toughest routes to the Cup finals, one that will probably begin on the road against the Columbus Blue Jackets (who lead the Penguins by two points, with a game in hand) or Capitals.

Having home ice would have offered Sullivan more opportunities to get last change, perhaps mitigating some of the effects of his beat-up roster, even if players like Maatta, Daley and Letang are back as expected. It would also allow the team to take advantage of its sparkling 29-6-4 record at home (74 percent win rate), rather than depend on its 17-13-7 record on the road (46 percent win rate).