Can we talk about Geno?

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

Obviously you'd like to see more than 4 goals... but he's a major reason this team is doing much of anything offensively, lately. Well... him, James Neal and that other dude. Corsby, or whatever.

Also, despite the eternal griping of more than a few... I think he's been much improved in his overall game this season.

 

[rkhum]

Is it possible Geno is not fully recovered from the shoulder issue from that dick Phanouf. Hence it has affected his shot, his confidence to shoot, and with his mentality, created frustration and disinterest.

 

[KareemTrustfund]

Is it possible Geno is not fully recovered from the shoulder issue from that dick Phanouf. Hence it has affected his shot, his confidence to shoot, and with his mentality, created frustration and disinterest.

How does he look disinterested? He's been our best forward lately.

 

[BlindWillyMcHurt]

He looks neither disinterested or frustrated.

If anything, he's the team's most engaged forward, right the moment. In all three zones.

 

[Candyman]

For playing like total crap early in the season, Malkin is still tied for 3rd in league scoring. Obviously you'd like to see more than 4 goals, but he's not a black hole. He's still producing. and now with Neal back I can't imagine that will change.

 

[rkhum]

For playing like total crap early in the season, Malkin is still tied for 3rd in league scoring. Obviously you'd like to see more than 4 goals, but he's not a black hole. He's still producing. and now with Neal back I can't imagine that will change.

Absolutely, I just can't help but wonder, when I see him not taking shots, if physically that shoulder is not bothering him or mentally he is not confident in his shot due to his shoulder.

 

[Will Hunting]

Wow, Geno is on another planet right now. From the biggest slump in his career to 2nd place, just behind Sid. And with the way Geno is playing right now, it´s gonna be tough for Sid to hold his lead (especially with Dupuis there) Nice problems, though. Please, Geno, keep it up. Nobody can play like this, but it´s ****ing frustrating to know what he can do and then seeing him struggling a lot in some stretches. Don´t look back Evgeni.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Finally starting to look like his old self, really happy to see it. With Crosby not quite looking like himself, Malkin could be the scoring leader here pretty soon.

 

[Crozbar]

Absolutely, I just can't help but wonder, when I see him not taking shots, if physically that shoulder is not bothering him or mentally he is not confident in his shot due to his shoulder.

He's playing awesome right now. I think he would be on his way to dominating if it wasn't for the fact that I share the shoulder speculation. Even with his goals on bigger shots, he seems to be getting them on what looks to me to be a limited range of motion adjustment kind of shot... Or I'm imagining things (possible).

 

[captain cubicle]

Love how wrong I was creating this thread. Love geno and I hope he makes a push for the art ross

 

[Zirakzigil]

He's playing awesome right now. I think he would be on his way to dominating if it wasn't for the fact that I share the shoulder speculation. Even with his goals on bigger shots, he seems to be getting them on what looks to me to be a limited range of motion adjustment kind of shot... Or I'm imagining things (possible).

Once Neal starting playing and got his timing back both have been on fire. Maybe it was just him not gelling with his linemates.

 

[KIRK]

Source notwithstanding, I found this pretty interesting:

A Russian TV crews has spent the last two days following around Evgeni Malkin, of whom a lot more is being asked (media wise) because the upcoming Winter Olympics are in his native Russia. Malkin claims to hate this kind of attention. If he keeps up this white-hot pursuit of teammate Sidney Crosby in the scoring race, it will not go away.

You might have noticed Malkin is playing in all three zones more than at any time during recent regular-season memory. That is no accident. Alex Ovechkin noted that Malkin’s role could be different for Russia than it is the Penguins. That role, at least at even strength, will likely be difference-making third-line center.

Remember what Jordan Staal meant to the Penguins during the 2009 Stanley Cup run? Malkin is Russia’s Staal.

Shudder at the thought Dan Bylsma probably does.

http://blog.triblive.com/chipped-ic...in-scoring-and-orpik-battering/#axzz2lz3KzjYK

This just reminded me of when Malkin came into the league. There's this myth that he was some great goal scorer. Fact is, he has a great player who scored goals . . . those sick little highlight reel goals, those one timer bombs and wrist shots coming late where the goalie was screened. That's how he won his first Art Ross. For the second one, he added going to the blue paint.

But, beyond all of that, the player the Pens drafted was most appropriately described by Pierre McGuire . . . Ron Francis on steroids.

That's the guy who's been playing for the Pens the last week.

Rossi references Malkin being Russia's Staal as a thought at which Team USA coach Bylsma should shudder.

Too bad it isn't one that Pittsburgh Penguins coach Bylsma embraces.

EDIT: I think this is an added reason adding a guy like Kulemin appeals. A Kulemin-Malkin-Neal line, with Malkin going like this, would be as good a TWO WAY line as it gets, and lines like those win teams cups.

 

[Shockmaster]

Source notwithstanding, I found this pretty interesting:

A Russian TV crews has spent the last two days following around Evgeni Malkin, of whom a lot more is being asked (media wise) because the upcoming Winter Olympics are in his native Russia. Malkin claims to hate this kind of attention. If he keeps up this white-hot pursuit of teammate Sidney Crosby in the scoring race, it will not go away.

You might have noticed Malkin is playing in all three zones more than at any time during recent regular-season memory. That is no accident. Alex Ovechkin noted that Malkin’s role could be different for Russia than it is the Penguins. That role, at least at even strength, will likely be difference-making third-line center.

Remember what Jordan Staal meant to the Penguins during the 2009 Stanley Cup run? Malkin is Russia’s Staal.

Shudder at the thought Dan Bylsma probably does.

http://blog.triblive.com/chipped-ic...in-scoring-and-orpik-battering/#axzz2lz3KzjYK

This just reminded me of when Malkin came into the league. There's this myth that he was some great goal scorer. Fact is, he has a great player who scored goals . . . those sick little highlight reel goals, those one timer bombs and wrist shots coming late where the goalie was screened. That's how he won his first Art Ross. For the second one, he added going to the blue paint.

But, beyond all of that, the player the Pens drafted was most appropriately described by Pierre McGuire . . . Ron Francis on steroids.

That's the guy who's been playing for the Pens the last week.

Rossi references Malkin being Russia's Staal as a thought at which Team USA coach Bylsma should shudder.

Too bad it isn't one that Pittsburgh Penguins coach Bylsma embraces.

EDIT: I think this is an added reason adding a guy like Kulemin appeals. A Kulemin-Malkin-Neal line, with Malkin going like this, would be as good a TWO WAY line as it gets, and lines like those win teams cups.

Malkin is also a really good PKer when he plays for Russia. Does Bylsma refuse to use Malkin on the PK because he doesn't trust him? Or does Bylsma refuse to use Malkin on the PK because that means less ice time for Adams, Glass, and other try-hard guys?

I think Malkin could be like Datsyuk in a sense, but Bylsma doesn't want him to play that role even though his size and skill suggests he could.

 

[NMK11]

You might have noticed Malkin is playing in all three zones more than at any time during recent regular-season memory. That is no accident. Alex Ovechkin noted that Malkin’s role could be different for Russia than it is the Penguins. That role, at least at even strength, will likely be difference-making third-line center.

Just out of curiosity, if Malkin ends up as the third line center, who are the top two? Datsyuk for sure, and I can at least understand that it's arguable between the two, but the next leading Russian center in points in the NHL is Anisimov with 10. Unless there are some world class centers in the KHL (and there may be, I know it's a good league and I definitely don't watch any games) Malkin is a top scoring-line center, not a third line shut down guy, even at the international level.

 

[Ogrezilla]

Just out of curiosity, if Malkin ends up as the third line center, who are the top two? Datsyuk for sure, and I can at least understand that it's arguable between the two, but the next leading Russian center in points in the NHL is Anisimov with 10. Unless there are some world class centers in the KHL (and there may be, I know it's a good league and I definitely don't watch any games) Malkin is a top scoring-line center, not a third line shut down guy, even at the international level.

its possible he just means he would play a more defensive role. He may not actually mean he'd be on the 3rd line.

 

[ozpensfan]

Even with his lack of goal scoring this year, his defensive play is better then i have ever seen this year, maybe a little bit of influence from Jaques Martin?

 

[AssistantCaptain*]

I'm glad he proved me wrong and turned it around
GEEENOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

 

[Big McLargehuge]

its possible he just means he would play a more defensive role. He may not actually mean he'd be on the 3rd line.

I'm assuming that's the case, because there is no way in hell there are two Russian centers better than Malkin out there.

Malkin has always had a more defensive role with the RNT than just about anywhere else he's played, remember he was a key penalty killer for them as a teenager...which doesn't at all match up with his career trajectory in the NHL. Russia isn't going to win gold by playing an end-to-end game, their defense (and goaltending) isn't good enough to sustain that, they need their forwards to be able to play all three zones, and Malkin's duties as a center will be emphasized.

 

[cygnus47]

Even with his lack of goal scoring this year, his defensive play is better then i have ever seen this year, maybe a little bit of influence from Jaques Martin?

He's had spurts like this from his 2nd year onwards. He's really good defensively and he seems to just get it positioning wise when he's on. He picks off passes like its no-one's business and he knows when to put pressure on. Way better than Crosby in terms of the x's and o's part of the defensive zone. He led the league in takeaways in 08-09 for a reason.

 

[zidell*]

He's had spurts like this from his 2nd year onwards. He's really good defensively and he seems to just get it positioning wise when he's on. He picks off passes like its no-one's business and he knows when to put pressure on. Way better than Crosby in terms of the x's and o's part of the defensive zone. He led the league in takeaways in 08-09 for a reason.

He's a train wreck defensively. He bad passes and giveaways are defensive mistakes. He is a big net loss on defense.

The excuses about his wings are also ridiculous. The league is full of 5 million dollar players who need good linemates to produce. When you are paid 9 million, then you better produce no matter who your linemates are. Besides, Malkin has always scored a lot of goals on the pp when Crosby is on the ice. What's his excuse for not doing it now.

 

[Ogrezilla]

He's a train wreck defensively. He bad passes and giveaways are defensive mistakes. He is a big net loss on defense.

The excuses about his wings are also ridiculous. The league is full of 5 million dollar players who need good linemates to produce. When you are paid 9 million, then you better produce no matter who your linemates are. Besides, Malkin has always scored a lot of goals on the pp when Crosby is on the ice. What's his excuse for not doing it now.

 

[vodeni]

He's a train wreck defensively. He bad passes and giveaways are defensive mistakes. He is a big net loss on defense.

The excuses about his wings are also ridiculous. The league is full of 5 million dollar players who need good linemates to produce. When you are paid 9 million, then you better produce no matter who your linemates are. Besides, Malkin has always scored a lot of goals on the pp when Crosby is on the ice. What's his excuse for not doing it now.

Madden showed up on these boards, wellcome

 

[KIRK]

He's a train wreck defensively. He bad passes and giveaways are defensive mistakes. He is a big net loss on defense.

The excuses about his wings are also ridiculous. The league is full of 5 million dollar players who need good linemates to produce. When you are paid 9 million, then you better produce no matter who your linemates are. Besides, Malkin has always scored a lot of goals on the pp when Crosby is on the ice. What's his excuse for not doing it now.

Bump . . . just because.

 

[sf expat71]

Bump . . . just because.

Epic bump. In fact, epic thread. Not enough said about his face-offs either...

 

[Jaded-Fan]

What is funny to me, and by funny I mean sad and pathetic, is that now on the main board people are using Malkin's latest spurt to yet again bash Crosby. When Crosby hit 700 points almost no one on the main board said a thing good about him, a few, but it was 90% Pens' fans. Threads about what underwear a player wears have been longer than that thread. Now Malkin has caught fire as well and it is used to bash Crosby. The vast majority really hate Crosby over there. I think that the media as well. I wonder if the Olympics may temper that at least temporarily. You would think that people might put aside their hatred of him for at least a week or so when he plays for their country's team and was the hero of the last Olympics. As for Malkin, he has always been the 'some of my best friends are black' Penguin for far too many. 'Yeah I hate the Pens, but look I am not unreasonable, I like Malkin, see!'