Malkin's Play Hurting the Team
Zach Boslett | Pittsburgh Penguins
Dec 19, 09:59 PM | Hype this story!
Only two Penguins have more penalty minutes than Evgeni Malkin (48) so far this season, Matt Cooke (52) and Mike Rupp (54).
Rupp has 6 fighting majors, Cooke has 2, Malkin has 0.
Penguin fans love to hate NHL minor penalty leader Scott Hartnell and all of his dumb, selfish penalties but Malkin is second on that list with 23 minor penalties, only 1 behind Hartnell.
Malkin’s penalties are often in the offensive zone or neutral zone where it is often unnecessary. Malkin has also been visibly frustrated most of the season, mainly due to his low goal scoring numbers (he’s on pace for 23 G).
The struggling Ruslan Fedotenko and Max Talbot are probably not helping his frustration either.
Malkin’s untimely penalties are hurting the team, but not in the way that their other selfish, terrible center is hurting them.
Malkin is simply taking himself off the ice for 2, 4, 8 minutes per game, which is never a good thing for one of the top 3 players in the league.
His goal scoring numbers will improve, but this may be the first season he has more penalty minutes than points – more minors than goals.
(Maybe he’ll now get mad like Sid did to the linked article and explode offensively while keeping the PIMs down… Worth a try…)
Comments
SteelTownFever
Dec 20, 12:53 AM
Considering the Pens are 13-3-1 since Geno came back from injury, I wouldn’t necessarily say he is hurting the team.
I mean the penalties need to stop, but it’s not like it’s inhibiting the team’s ability to win games.
Pens1967
Dec 20, 06:32 AM
Well, the interference penalty as Malkin was coming out of the box was a pretty cheesey call.
But, it sure does look like Geno is frustrated trying to create offense and that is causing some of the silly stick fouls. I tried to watch more closely yesterday and noticed a difference in his play with different linemates. Once Malkin got on between Kunitz and Guerin before they were able to get off for a change. Malkin seemed much more energized and happy to make plays to wingers who know what to do with the puck when they get it. And again, when Rupp was on wing with Malkin and Feds, that combination was much better. Dupuis works hard, but he is not a top 4 winger when all other wingers are healthy. His play on the 2nd line is exactly the same as it is on the 4th line and when he kills penalties, which is not what one wants from a winger playing with a top center. When Dupuis is out there, you notice how much Malkin tries to do by himself. You don’t see Malkin doing that as much when he’s got someone else on that wing.
Why Bylsma insists on saddling Malkin with Dupuis is a puzzle. IMHO, it’s time for Malkin to have either Mike Rupp or Max Talbot full time in place of Dupuis.
It’s not fair to Dupuis to put him in a role for which he’s not well suited. It’s not fair for Malkin to be deprived of a better winger, either. And, it’s not fair to the team when the head coach doesn’t put the talent he has in a position to maximize their strengths.
DaBich
Dec 20, 09:13 AM
Well, if I remember correctly, Malkin didn’t have the best line mates last season either, and he still managed to put up top numbers. I don’t know what has changed, but something has. I’d say it’s more a patience thing.
Pens1967
Dec 20, 10:00 AM
That’s true to a degree, but for the last part of last season and throughout the playoffs, he got Talbot when Sykora fell out of favor with Bylsma. Talbot at least has a scoring pedigree while Dupuis (I know he’s one of your favorites) does not.
Next game watch how Malkin plays differently when he has Rupp or Staal on his wing or plays with Crosby. Then compare that with how he plays when Duper is on his wing.
Tony
Dec 20, 10:21 AM
Cheesy but accurate, Rule 56.2….
Kudos on the post, boys, for having the “temerity” to call him out… There are “good” penalties to take, then there are stupid penalties, and Geno is clearly taking stupid penalties….
SprJudd
Dec 20, 10:24 AM
While I would agree he needs to cut down on the penalties, some of the calls against Geno have been of the phantom variety. There have been more than a couple times where a player has just fallen over without Geno touching him but he still ends up with the penalty. And let’s not forget Geno getting a holding call against the Flyers when all he did was duck an Asham check and Asham fell over after hitting the boards.
Penspal
Dec 20, 02:07 PM
He differs from Hartnell is so many different ways. Yes, to this point Evgeni has taken too many stupid penalties. That’s where the comparison stops, and the facts begin. Malkin is in top 3 players in league. Hartnell is not even in the top 100. Malkin’s team is 1st in the league, Hartnell’s team is near bottom. When Malkin takes a penalty, his teammates want to kill the penalty for him. Hartnall’s do not find any motivation in that a leader on their team needs their help.
And Malkin has the ability to realize and react, and simply not take these penalties. Malkin did not have penalty trouble last year. I don’t believe Hartnell has ever learned that, or even has the capacity to learn that.
Zach Boslett
Dec 20, 02:48 PM
@Steeltown I agree. This article was slightly sarcastic calling out the ridiculous article written earlier this season about Crosby. Malkin has not been great (for him) this season but he is still playing better than 99% of the NHL and the team is winning. I was just saying having your best player take him self off the ice several times a game with “bad” penalties.
@Penspal I was not really comparing playing styles and talent between Hartnell and Malkin, just simply saying that all of Hartnell’s ridiculous minors only put him 1 ahead of Malkin.
Shlim
Dec 21, 09:44 AM
To see why Sidney Crosby’s play is holding back the Penguins and why the team could still be scary good, you must be an ESPN Insider.
:(
Chris A
Dec 21, 11:04 AM
Malkin’s linemates aren’t that bad compared to Crosby’s. Fedotenko has the same number of even strength goals as Guerin (5).
Pens’ even strenth goals:
Crosby 14
Rupp and Dupuis 9
Staal 8
Cooke 6
Fedotenko, Guerin, Goligoski and Guerin 5
Malkin 4
Eaton and Gonchar 3
Skoula and Kunitz 2
Letang, Talbot and McKee 1
Considering that Malkin has seen similar, if not more time with Rupp, Dupuis and Stall than Crosby has, let’s stop blaming his struggles on linemates.
Zach Boslett
Dec 22, 07:47 PM
There’s also a difference between goals and whether or not the line is struggling. Maybe the fact that Malkin cannot seem to get consistent linemates is frustrating him or the fact that his linemates rarely are visible on the ice. Sid has had time to work with the same line for a long time now. Malkin’s RW is a revolving door… Just a thought
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