Evgeni Malkin sends strong message to Penguins teammates over playoff hopes after shock 4-2 loss to Kraken 

Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins got off to a poor start this season, prompting rumors of a potential firesale to kickstart a rebuild. They have since played better, but they're still on the outside looking in. They're 18-20-8 one year after only narrowly missing the playoffs.

Malkin believes his team is going to have to improve to get there. They just lost 4-2 to the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday, a team with a similar record. It tarnishes their chances even further, something Malkin isn't happy with.

He said:

"I think everybody understands what's going on. We have a great organization, a great history. The last two years, we missed the playoffs. We keep missing out, it's not good enough. I hope we look in the mirror tonight and tomorrow and start playing better."

The Russian star added:

"You see the standings, I think we understand we'll miss the playoffs. Half the season is gone. We understand everything, but again, if we want to play in the playoffs, we need to play so much better."

The Penguins aren't far off, though. They're currently only four points off the East's second wild card, but there are six teams within five points of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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Evgeni Malkin's house was broken into

Things on the ice are not going so well for Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins. They're struggling a bit this year, although Malkin has 32 points in 41 contests this season.

Evgeni Malkin was robbed (Imagn)

Off the ice, the center was recently the victim of a burglary. According to reports, three Stanley Cup rings are missing from the Penguins star's home. The team confirmed that his home was broken into but asked that everyone respect his privacy right now.

This comes in a string of recent high-profile burglaries. Several sports stars in the US have been targeted: NFL players Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Joe Burrow; NBA stars Luka Doncic, Bobby Portis, and Mike Conley; and NHL player Tyler Seguin.

The FBI reported that athlete homes are targeted on the chance that they'll have lots of high-reward items, and that apparently includes Stanley Cup rings.