Evgeni Malkin has been called a Stanley Cup Champion, a Conn
Smythe winner (playoff MVP) , a Hart winner( regular season MVP), an Art Ross
winner (scoring champ ), and a Calder winner ( rookie of the year). On the
negative side he’s been called a disengaged, lackadaisical, boneheaded, selfish
and a typical Russian (a derogatory term in North America). He has never been
called a leader and that’s exactly what he has been this year for the
Pittsburgh Penguins. On his way to another possible MVP season he has put the beleaguered
Penguins on his back and has dominated the ice every shift.
It used to be when Geno was the best player the
world, not playing second banana to Sidney Crosby, the Penguins were the best
team on hockey. The salary cap, injuries and Ray Shero’s ignorance or
incompetence has made that not true but the Penguins are in first place in the
Metro and off to their best start in franchise history. All of this is being
done while the team is hit by an array of injuries and illness that make it
look more like Cedars Sinai emergency room than an NHL locker room. Goalie Marc
Andre Fluery has been lights out and defenseman Kris Letang is playing the best
hockey of his career but Malkin has led the charge up front. Malkin has also
led the physical charge. Geno has always had a healthy mean streak but now his
temper is controlled. He has been
physical on the fore check. A big strong forward who always defended himself Malkin
now he is sticking up for his teammates as well.
Geno has been great most of the time his whole career, this
year he’s been great all the time. The bonehead plays in his own end are non-
existent, the passes to no one in the neutral zone are gone too. Malkin still
takes too many penalties but none of them are due to laziness. Malkin still
does try to do too much sometimes but you can’t fault a man for trying.
So what’s changed?
The Penguins changed and Malkin matured. The Penguins roster was
restructured. Geno looked around the Penguins locker room, saw a leadership
vacuum and filled it. Malkin knows after five disappointing seasons in Pittsburgh
if the Penguins fortunes are going to change it needs to start with him.
