Evgeni Malkin roasts Sidney Crosby for hitting him with the puck.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have been blessed for many years with the dynamic duo of Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Penguins star forward Evgeni Malkin, and the reason it has worked for so long is because of the long lasting bonds of friendship formed between the two elite level players.

That bond of friendship, we learned this week, even extends to when one of the two men accidently hurts the other, as Crosby did this week when he accidentally struck Malkin with a shot that would result in a goal for the Penguins. While it was no laughing matter at the time, it was no surprise to see Malkin joking about the whole situation when he was asked about it on Saturday.

When he was asked what Crosby said to him following the incident in question, Malkin took the opportunity to get a little payback by chirping Crosby's lack of power.

"He say, next time, I shoot harder," said Malkin with a laugh "I mean, I'm lucky it's Sid's shot and not like Tanger or Guentz. We know Sid does not shoot so hard."

Malkin also added that he was glad the play had resulted in a goal, otherwise it probably would have stung a lot worse.

"It's a goal, I'm so happy. Because if I don't score, it feels so much worse," admitted the star forward.