Frustrated Evgeni Malkin Calls Out the Entire Penguins Team

It's certainly not an ideal start to the season for the Pittsburgh Penguins as they sit near the bottom of the conference standings. Surely, the panic button still isn't visible but it does sound like it's getting close as Penguins star Evgeni Malkin recently didn't mince any words about his team's play.

Malkin met with the media after the team's 4-2 loss to the St Louis Blues on Saturday and had this to say:

Great teams coming up on our schedule. We better start playing better. Playing smarter. Playing harder. Time to regroup. Tonight? No good. This game was just bad. I'm frustrated.

After what was a very eventful offseason for new GM Kyle Dubas, the Penguins have started very slow and there is some cause for concern. Their bottom-six forward group has been questioned for years, and goaltender Tristan Jarry has also had his doubters throughout the years. 

Last season the Pens missed the playoffs for the first time since 2005-06 and Malkin is well aware he and the aging core in Pittsburgh don't have a ton of time left together to try and win the Stanley Cup.

Coach Sullivan would love to see some better decisions made with the puck by some of his big guns and the Penguins will try to get back on track Thursday night against the Dallas Stars.

Photo credit:  Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports