Malkin: Man on a mission
‘I can still play like a top player’
Evgeni Malkin arrived at Penguins training camp in September ready to make a statement.
He was coming off the longest offseason of his career and one of his worst regular seasons, too. At the time, it was fair to wonder if Father Time’s forecheck had finally begun to take its toll on the 33year-old star.
“I can still play like a top player,” Malkin said in September. “I want to show to everyone. I’m not done.”
Well, everyone ... have you seen enough?
Six months after those words echoed through the dressing room in Cranberry, Malkin has indeed proven, in so many ways, that he’s not done. The evidence isn’t hard to find. He put the team on his back during Sidney Crosby’s prolonged absence. He would win best supporting actor in the movie of Bryan Rust’s career year. And he has produced about as many points per game as the leading candidates for the Hart Trophy (more on that later).
But let’s focus now on one area in particular: Five-on-five play.
During the lull last season, it became apparent that the arranged marriage of Malkin and Phil Kessel had run its course. Kessel’s indifference to playing defense seemed to permeate Malkin’s psyche, as well. And that was just one of the issues with that line, as Malkin ended up finishing the season with a career-worst minus-25 rating.
This year?
Malkin has racked up 43 points on 5-on5 situations. With 16 games left, the Russian star already has surpassed his total of 40 last season. When Malkin records his next point, he’ll match his 5-on-5 production from 2017-18 when he placed seventh in Hart Trophy voting.
“His whole overall game is just much better,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “Offensively, he’s been dominant. He’s a threat every time he steps on the ice.
“But I think the biggest improvement in Geno’s game is just his [decision-making] with the puck. He’s not playing as high-risk of game. And his commitment to playing defense when he doesn’t have the puck.”
Indeed. After tallying a career-high 4.06 giveaways per 60 minutes during 5-on-5 situations last year, Malkin has turned the puck over 3.59 times per 60, according to Natural Stat Trick. And after a careerhigh 4.37 penalty minutes per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play last year, Malkin has just 2.18 under the same circumstances.
Those are two good signs that he is making smarter, more disciplined decisions.
Now obviously, even-strength situations are important. But this year, maybe even more so. The power play that for years worked as an offensive engine is notably average and inconsistent. After enduring a 1-for-18 slump during the recent six-game losing streak, the Penguins rank 15th in the league with a 20.5% conversion rate.
Instead of leaning on Kessel to make a perfect pass with the man-advantage, the Penguins need a one-two punch of Crosby’s line and Malkin’s line to keep the wins coming.
“You can just see he’s that much more motivated this year,” Rust said. “This year, he came out to prove a lot of people wrong. I don’t think he was happy with how last year went. I don’t think a lot of people were … He’s been awesome all year.”
Now back to that Hart Trophy talk that was promised earlier. There are several leading candidates to win the NHL’s most valuable player award. While Malkin probably missed too many games to enter that discussion on a serious way, it is worth wondering what would have been had he not tripped awkwardly over Kris Letang in the second game of the season and missed about a month with a lower -body injury.
In total, Malkin has 69 points in 52 games. But if you look at it on a pointsper-game basis, Malkin ranks tied for fifth in the league with 1.33 points per game.
The four others ahead of him are all, without question, the leading candidates for the NHL’s Hart Trophy — Leon Draisaitl (1.62) and Connor McDavid (1.53) of the Edmonton Oilers, Artemi Panarin (1.41) of the New York Rangers and David Pastrnak (1.37) of the Boston Bruins.
So, yes, it’s extremely unlikely Malkin will win the Hart. But the way he has bounced back to lead a new-look line has put the Penguins in the conversation for a different trophy — one you can drink out of.