I don't Recognize this Malkin

[KIRK]

Sheahan is the straw

 

[BmxHockey]

As of today right now the Pens are meeting NYI in the first round. Interesting.

 

[Andy99]

As of today right now the Pens are meeting NYI in the first round. Interesting.

No, they wouldn’t...they’re in the last WC spot, so they’d meet TB...

 

[Turin]

That last game was probably the most normal Malkin had looked in a while.

 

[ChaosAgent]

When is Schultz back again? I do think having him - assuming he's good again - getting the puck up ice to Malkin's line will help.

 

[DegenX]

When is Schultz back again? I do think having him - assuming he's good again - getting the puck up ice to Malkin's line will help.

Check the injury thread. There's a table in the first post with all the current information.

 

[K Fleur]

Don’t know if this stat has been mentioned already but I found it relevant;

Malkin has been on the ice for 57 goals against already this season. He was on the ice for 63 goals against all of last season.

 

[KIRK]

Don’t know if this stat has been mentioned already but I found it relevant;

Malkin has been on the ice for 57 goals against already this season. He was on the ice for 63 goals against all of last season.

I'd like to see how he looks with a winger who truly complements him in ways that matter to the 200 foot game (Hags with some hands) and a regular defenseman who isn't a possession black hole (i.e., Jack Johnson) before I read too much into this.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

So I find myself in some agreement with the second half of your post. I really strongly disagree with the contract thing.

I think objectively what hurt Malkin's "story" (and his level of recognition) more than anything were the '09-'10 and '10-'11 seasons. Like, his first three years he goes on a rookie tear and then finishes 2nd to Ovi in Hart both of the next two years. Team goes to a finals and then wins a cup. He wins the Smythe. People had started to include him with Crosby & Ovechkin as a sort of "3 generational players" type group. Then he has two seasons where he kinda regresses, and in that 2nd season he gets badly injured after that collision with Tyler Myers. So like, he was in the Crosby/Ovechkin grouping but then fell off for 2 years, leaving that group in people's minds.

Then he comes back after that with his incredible '11-'12 and he has been really, really good - albeit injury prone - ever since. Until this year. Anyway, it was still laughable that he didn't make the list but I don't think it was a perception of his overall inconsistency. I think those two down years in '09-'10 and '10-'11 really hurt his recognition-levels.

In ‘09-10 Malkin was actually on pace for about 95 points IIRC. So really, it was just one poor season he had, in which he had a major injury.

 

[Vegeta]

No, they wouldn’t...they’re in the last WC spot, so they’d meet TB...

You gotta figure that we are as shitty a reward as you could get for getting the #1 seed. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if TB fans would rather face Toronto in the playoffs instead of us.

 

[Andy99]

You gotta figure that we are as ****ty a reward as you could get for getting the #1 seed. It honestly wouldn't surprise me if TB fans would rather face Toronto in the playoffs instead of us.

Still doesn’t mean they wouldn’t beat this current version of the Pens handily...we need a couple tweaks and some better transition play/strategy and then maybe....with great goaltending and good luck...lol

 

[ChaosAgent]

In ‘09-10 Malkin was actually on pace for about 95 points IIRC. So really, it was just one poor season he had, in which he had a major injury.

Yes, that was a good season but not strong enough to keep up the "3 generationals" narrative...outside of Pittsburgh that is. If Geno kept it up for those couple of seasons then had his dominant '11-'12...it would be like a coronation of the first act of his career.

This stuff sounds cheesy but stories are the things that cement legacies and great players' place on all-time lists.