Two-way superstar Malkin’s postseason performance both consistent and spectacular
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
It might not be quite accurate to call Evgeni Malkin a quietplayer on the ice.
After all, in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final Wednesday night, he became the first player in eight years to score a goal and earn a five-minute fighting major in the same game.
The last player to do it? Evgeni Malkin, in Game 2 of the 2009 final against Detroit.
But, while teammates Jake Guentzel and Matt Murray have picked up steam in the discussion for who should win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP if the Penguins can win two more games against the Nashville Predators, Malkin has continued his steady production while almost happy to stay in the background.
“Geno is a guy, he doesn’t say a lot,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s a quiet guy. But he cares so much about the Pittsburgh Penguins and helping them win. I think his play speaks for itself.”
Malkin’s numbers say plenty for his performance this postseason, as well. He leads the NHL in playoff points (26) and assists (17). His nine goals are three behind Guentzel for the lead in thatcategory as well.
The consistency with which Malkin has put up those numbers is remarkably impressive. While other players have gone through highs and lows offensively, Malkin’s performance rarely has wavered. He has at least one point in 16 of the Penguins’ 21 playoff games, and his longest goalless drought in the postseason is four games (the Eastern Conferencefinal against Ottawa).
Malkin has gone back-toback games without a point just once in these playoffs. That was in Games 3 and 4 againstthe Senators.
Beyond the consistency, though, Malkin also has topend scoring talent. That, too, has been on display in these playoffs.
Most recently in the third period of Game 2, when he broke loose on a two-on-one with Phil Kessel. Malkin picked his spot in the top corner, and let loose a wrist shot before Nashville defenseman Roman Josi could slide across the ice to block it.
“He’s one of those guys that we have on our team that has the ability to make a difference in one or two shifts,” Sullivan said. “You saw that [Wednesday] night. Although I thought he competed hard most of the night, the goal he scored is a goalscorer’s goal. I think that’s just an indication of the skill level that he has and the elite player that he is.”
Malkin was a bit more modest when explaining the goal.
“I skate, I don’t see what Phil did,” he said. “I just see I haveroom and I try to use my shot. I think not so many chances tonight and I used my only one chance. It’s luckyI scored.”
By that point, Malkin had already moved on to Game 3, and what he and Penguins would have to do to keep this offensivemomentum going.
“Today it’s better, but we still can be better,” Malkin said. “Next game we play in Nashville, they play at home, big crowd. We need to play smart.”
Malkin did, though, take one small second to reflect on the Game 2 win, but it was for reasonsunrelated to hockey.
Wednesday was also his son Nikita’s first birthday. Nikita was born the night before Game 2 of the final last year, when the Penguins went up 2-0 on the San Jose Sharks.
“It’s a small present for him, for sure,” Malkin said. “I thought about that before thegame.”
But, after that, it was right backto hockey.
“It’s not over. We understand that Nashville’s a great team. Just stay positive, have fun.Enjoy it every day.” pressure. The Penguins have scored nine goals in two games, but six have come within spurts of 3:18 (Game 2) and 4:11 (Game 1).
Opportunistic? Yes. Sustainable? Probably not.
“We’ve been pretty fortunate to be on the right side of two wins,” winger Chris Kunitz said. “But we have more in our game and another level to get to.”
Kunitz also said the Penguins need to play “the dullest road game of the season.”
Translated: Roll four lines, don’t take any stupid penalties and get a lead, all in the name of quieting the Bridgestone Arena crowd.
“Our next game is our biggest game of the year by far,” Kunitz said.
ThePenguins took a similar approach against the Sharks last year. defenseman Ben Lovejoy scored the first goal.But a double-minor for high-sticking on center Nick Boninoled to Joel Ward’s tying goal at the moment the penalty expired, and Joonas Donskoi won it. It was a performance that wasn’t one of Murray’s best,either.
But a double-minor for high-sticking on center Nick Bonino led to Joel Ward’s tying goal at the moment the penalty expired, and Joonas Donskoi won it. It was a performance that wasn’t one of Murray’s best, either.
Faced with another chance of shortening this series and extinguishing any remaining hope for Nashville, the Penguins are trying to apply a few lessons they learned last year.
“We know we have a big challengeahead of us in Game 3,”Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “It’s an exciting place to play. I think we have to embrace the energy that’s going to be in the city and the building. We have to focus on the things that we can control. That’s going to be our competitivelevel, our attitude, our execution.
“I think the experience that these guys have gone through they can certainly draw on as far as understanding the emotional ups and downs throughout the course of a series.”
And season. Especially under Sullivan. He often talks about resetting a mindset, whether the result was good or bad.
The Penguins have plenty to correct — a power play that went 0 for 5 with two shots in 11:26, a shot-attempt percentage of 37.1 — but they also have shown an ability to adjust and move on under Sullivan.
“Our coaching staff believes in staying in the moment and controlling what we can,” Sullivan said. “We try to learn from each experience.”