Malkin earns 28 penalty minutes and gets ejected on Sunday!

Pittsburgh Penguins star forward Evgeni Malkin is on the receiving end of some pretty harsh criticism tonight, and considering the circumstances you can certainly see where his critics are coming from.

Malkin and the Penguins faced off against intrastate rivals the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday night, and it was an absolutely must win game for the Penguins. The Flyers are already eliminated from playoff contention but the Penguins still have some hope of making it in, something that gave this rivalry game considerably more meaning.

In spite of the must win stakes for the Penguin, Malkin would rack up a staggering 28 minutes of penalties on the night, thanks in large part to his insistence on arguing with the officials on the ice, and would even get himself tossed from the game for the same reason.

Many fans and pundits were quick to slam Malkin for his behavior in such an important game, including Pittsburgh radio host Mark Madden.

It wasn't just Madden and disgruntled fans who criticized Malkin's behavior however, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan publicly admonished his player following the game and apparently did so privately in the locker room as well.

Malkin's 28 penalty minutes were the most for a player in a single game this season.