Evgeni Malkin injury: Penguins center having concussion-like symptoms

Evgeni Malkin, the Pittsburgh Penguins' all-world center and NHL's reigning MVP, is likely to miss his team's next game, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, after crashing head first into the boards during Friday night's game against the Florida Panthers.

The Tribune's Rob Rossi writes that Malkin was "experiencing concussion symptoms, including severe headache and mild disorientation," according to his sources. Malkin's head slammed back as he hit the boards, and the symptons could have been caused by whiplash.

The Penguins are no strangers to concussion problems with their stars. Sidney Crosby was the best player in the world when he suffered a concussion in early 2011, which kept him from playing in all but a handful games for more than a year. There's no confirmation on if Malkin actually suffered a concussion or if he's just feeling the effects of whiplash, but the Penguins know from Crosby's experience to give Malkin all the time he needs.

More in the NHL:

• Thursday was injury night in hockey

• All the scores from Thursday

• The end of an era in Buffalo

• How reliable is NHL.com's shot tracker?

• Solving the Sharks' goal-scoring woes