PITTSBURGH – For the second time in a month, the National Hockey League’s reigning MVP will miss at least a week due to injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins star center Evgeni Malkin will be out for the next 1-2 weeks because of an upper-body injury, coach Dan Bylsma said after the Malkin-less Penguins beat the New York Islanders 6-1 Sunday at Consol Energy Center.

The precise nature of Malkin’s injury is not known, but Byslma did assert that Malkin does not have a concussion.

“That is not a concern, no,” Bylsma said before the game. “Just an upper-body injury.”

Bylsma was more specific with a timetable for Malkin’s return after the victory: “It will be one-to-two weeks, approximately, he will be out.”

Malkin sat out Sunday after not playing the final 2:20 of regulation or during overtime of Pittsburgh’s 5-4 shootout win in Toronto on Saturday night. He absorbed a hit from Maple Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk along the boards in the neutral zone with about five minutes to play in regulation.

Malkin took one shift Saturday after van Riemsdyk’s check. Television cameras showed him telling Penguins training staff, “I’m alright” while on the bench.

After the game, Bylsma said Malkin was held out of overtime and the shootout for “precautionary” reasons.

The Toronto game was Malkin’s third back in the lineup a four-game absence due to a concussion sustained in the third period of a win against the Florida Panthers on Feb. 22. Malkin complained of temporary short-term memory loss after a collision with the boards behind the Florida net.

Malkin, however, was symptom-free within 48 hours and remained so for a week before being cleared to play. He had a goal and two assists in the three games since — all Penguins victories.

Atlantic Division-leading Pittsburgh extended its winning streak to five and improved to 3-2 without Malkin this season with its victory Sunday. At 18-8-0 overall, the Penguins trail the Montreal Canadiens by two points in the race for the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed.

Joe Vitale took Malkin’s place in the lineup Sunday, centering the fourth line. Dustin Jeffrey was promoted from that spot to Malkin’s usual position centering James Neal and rookie Beau Bennett against the Islanders.

A two-time Art Ross Trophy winner, Malkin has 24 points (five goals, 19 assists) in 21 games this season.

“It’s not a guy we’re going to replace,” said Pens captain Sidney Crosby, who had five assists Sunday. “Everyone knows that.”

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — John Tavares scored two power-play goals in the third period to lift the New York Islanders to a 5-2 win over Washington, ending the Capitals’ three-game winning streak.

Tavares scored his 15th goal at 12:13 and his team-leading 16th — the 100th of his career — three minutes later, and Evgeni Nabokov made 22 saves for the Islanders. Josh Bailey, Casey Cizikas and Frans Nielsen also scored for the Islanders, who won for the third time in four games and improved to 11-11-3.

Tavares’ first goal came as Washington’s Mike Ribeiro was serving a four-minute penalty for high sticking and unsportsmanlike conduct. His second came with Jeff Schultz in the box — also for a double-minor — as Tavares beat Washington’s Philipp Grubauer, who faced 45 shots in his first NHL start.

Joel Ward and Nicklas Backstrom scored for the Capitals, who came in with eight wins in 11 games since starting the season 2-8-1 under first-year coach Adam Oates.

Bailey opened the scoring at 10:46 with his second goal of the season. Nielsen backhanded him a soft pass as Bailey skated down the left wing on a 2-on-1 break. Bailey nudged a forehand past Grubauer.

Ward tied the game at 1:26 of the second with his power-play goal coming when the puck went off the skate of Islanders defenceman Travis Hamonic past Nabokov. It was Ward’s seventh of the season.

Cizikas broke the tie with his third of the season at 10:03 of the second, taking a pass from Matt Martin in the right circle and firing the puck past Grubauer on the stick side. The play started after Alex Ovechkin – seeking his 700th point – turned the puck over in the neutral zone.

Ovechkin has 348 goals and 699 points – most for any NHL player in both categories – since 2005-06.

Backstrom tied the game again at 7:09 of the third when his slap shot from the left point eluded Nabokov. It was Backstrom’s third goal of the season.

Nabokov (11-7-3) has started all but four games this season, and ranks fourth among active goalies behind Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo and Nikolai Khabibulin with 322 career wins.

The 21-year-old Grubauer – Washington’s fourth-round choice and the 122nd pick in the 2010 draft – was recalled from AHL Hershey to replace backup Michal Neuvirth who has been ill. Braden Holtby had started 11 straight games.

The Islanders played a strong game after a hard-fought 2-1 overtime loss to the Rangers on Thursday. New York concluded the long homestand 3-2-2 to move within one point of the Rangers for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

The Islanders will play seven of their next 11 games on the road starting Sunday at Pittsburgh.

The Capitals return home to play the Rangers on Sunday afternoon. Washington has 16 games in the next 29 days with 10 on the road, where Washington is just 3-7-1 on the season.

The game was the first meeting of the season between the teams. The Islanders visit Washington on March 26 and April 4.

NOTES: Left wing Matt Moulson played his 300th NHL game and 270th straight contest for the Islanders. He hasn’t missed a game since joining the Islanders before the 2009-10 season. … The Islanders were without assistant coach Brent Thompson, who was suspended for two games for abusive comments toward officials following the loss to the Rangers on Thursday. . The Islanders have been tied or ahead in the third period in 20 of their 25 games this season. . The Capitals were missing defenceman Mike Green and forward Brooks Laich (groin injuries) and Marcus Johansson (concussion).

Referee: K Friend | Attendance: 35068

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Everton

Wigan Athletic

• • Maynor Figueroa 30′
• • Callum McManaman 31′
• • Jordi Gómez 33′

Three Wigan goals in the space of four minutes stunned Everton

Wigan made history by reaching an FA Cup semi-final for the first time after three goals in a devastating four-minute spell saw them beat an abject Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park.

Maynor Figueroa, Callum McManaman and Jordi Gomez scored within just 202 seconds of each other in the first half to demolish last year’s semi-finalists hope of a return to Wembley.

Strangely for Everton they failed to produce anything like the expected response and exited the cup with a whimper – much to the disgust of an angry home crowd.

Somewhat oddly for this stage of competition the FA Cup is not something either manager had considered a priority.

Toffees boss David Moyes said he would rather secure Champions League football than a place in the final while Roberto Martinez insisted he would not allow the FA Cup to deflect attention from their fight for Premier League survival.

Now the Spaniard, who has fielded weakened teams in cup competitions throughout his reign at the DW Stadium, has to seriously consider the best way forward.

There are also plenty of questions for Moyes, who will mark his 11th anniversary at the club next week still not having won silverware.

With his contract up at the end of the season and a top-four finish by no means guaranteed the Scot has a significant personal decision to make.

Of more pressing concern, considering he values Champions League football so highly, is how Wigan – who had beaten only two of their last 10 top-flight opponents in the FA Cup since 1987 – and are battling relegation could score – and win – so easily.

Everton had created the first chance with Sylvain Distin heading wide but from then it was almost one-way traffic as Shaun Maloney, who caused the hosts numerous problems with his movement in from the left, curled a shot past Jan Mucha but back off the post.

The hosts’ only other real chance of the first half fell to Nikica Jelavic, without a goal in two months, but his low effort was palmed away by Joel Robles.

Then the madness began as Wigan incredibly put the game beyond their opponents in the space of less than four minutes.

Mucha, making his FA Cup debut and only his ninth appearance in two and a half years at the club with Tim Howard sidelined by broken bones in his back, passed his first real test by turning James McCarthy’s shot behind.

However, from Gomez’s 31st-minute corner the Slovakian got himself in a tangle inside the six-yard box and Figueroa powered home a far-post header.

If Everton looked stunned by that what followed in barely a matter of seconds left them staggered and virtually out for the count.

Huyton-born McManaman, released by Everton as a 16-year-old, outsprinted Distin to expertly clip a shot past Mucha.

The 21-year-old would probably have preferred to have scored at the Gwladys Street end, where he used to stand as a young season ticket holder, but a goal at Goodison Park was still special.

His family, all Scousers but among the away fans, must have not known where to put themselves.

But while they were all still celebrating that goal Wigan made it 3-0 as Gomez fired home from 20 yards.

The goal was greeted by loud boos from the majority of the crowd, who having been told Wigan would field a weakened side – they made four changes to the team which were thrashed 4-0 at home by Liverpool last weekend – saw their own dreams of a Wembley return collapsing in front of their eyes.

McManaman would have been desperately disappointed to be forced off by injury after a clash with Leighton Baines but he departed six minutes from the interval to be replaced by Ryo Miyaichi.

The change did little to affect the visitors’ momentum though and Mucha had to be at full-stretch to tip over Maloney’s curling, dipping free-kick.

It is safe to assume the Everton dressing room would not have been a pleasant place during half-time with Moyes most certainly unhappy with the lack of fight his side had shown.

Phil Neville was removed to allow Victor Anichebe to partner Jelavic up front but it was the previously quiet Marouane Fellaini who was first to show, volleying wide early in the second half.

Although the performance improved the hosts rarely threatened and when substitute Ross Barkley blazed wide late on it ended any fanciful hopes of a dramatic comeback.

Despite what the weather in NYC has to say, Spring Break is very close. That means some of our office will soon be going down to Miami (aka #7 on the list of Trashiest Spring Break Destinations) to go and get our party on.

While Miami is the home of expensive clubs and overpriced drinks, it’s a fair bet that most of you guys will be going someplace a little cheaper and much wilder.

It’s not unimaginable to think that you’re in for this kind of debauchery: