Hype for March 27, 2010

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin will miss a third consecutive game due to a bruised right foot.

Malkin skated for about 15 minutes during practice Friday but didn't look comfortable before leaving the ice. Coach Dan Bylsma later said he wouldn't play against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.

Detroit defenceman Brian Rafalski says Tennessee is unfairly taxing professional athletes to play in the state.

The Red Wings star has been running the numbers, and he estimates 17 teammates will be paying more money in taxes to face off against the Nashville Predators on Saturday night than they will earn for playing the game.

"My complaint with it is ... 17 teammates will be paying money out of their own pocket to play in Tennessee. It's a tax rate of over 100 per cent," Rafalski said Friday.

Paying taxes isn't his issue. A total of 18 states now charge what's commonly called a "jock tax" to make money off highly paid pro athletes visiting their teams. But Tennessee's tax, which took effect July 1, 2009, is different from the other 17 because the visitors cannot get any relief through a deduction when filing taxes back home.

Even without a full lineup, the Ottawa Senators still have the Buffalo Sabres' number.

Brian Elliott made 41 saves, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson, and Chris Kelly had a goal and assist each and the short-handed Senators beat the Sabres for the ninth straight time, 4-2 on Friday night.

The playoff picture is looking bleak at best and pretty much non-existent at worst for the Anaheim Ducks, but they haven't completely called it a season of yet.

Corey Perry scored a pair of power-play goals in the third period as the Ducks snapped a two-game winless streak, defeating the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Friday night.