I don't Recognize this Malkin

DegenX

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Aug 14, 2011
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what is up with that reporting from canada that Duper gave an interview saying about riff between Malkin/Kessel and Sully
nevermind its in another thread
Yeah, it really belonged in the coaching thread. I was a guilty party, I'll admit it. I've moved the conversation here
 
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ChaosAgent

Registered User
May 8, 2018
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But you know, speaking of Kessel, Malkin did play with a 1-dimensional shooter before that wasn't nearly as good as Kessel: Sykora. I'd also say Neal but I feel like Neal was at least not terrible with board play like Kessel is.

But that was 10 years ago and I think the speed of the game has increased to where we just can't afford to have a lazy defensive Malkin plus defensive liability Kessel on the same line. And certainly not in combination with the plugger that ZAR is + Maatta/Oleksiak which is a terrible defensive pair.
 

Jules Winnfield

Fleurymanbad
Mar 19, 2010
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Malkin’s linemates aren’t his issue. His issue is the defensemen he gets stuck with are liabilities and can’t get the puck to the forwards.
 

Peat

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Jun 14, 2016
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Anyone wanna run the percentages of defensemen that Malkin has played with out there?

He has about 600 minutes.

He's played about 100 minutes with Letang/Dumo and is +2

He's played 56 minutes with Dumo and is a -4 and 70 with Letang and is a -7.

He's played about 40 minutes with Johnson/Petterson and is a +1.

He's played 157 minutes with Johnson and is a -1 and 8 with Petterson and is -1

He's played 60 minutes with Maatta/Coughdrop and is -1

He's played 133 minutes with Maatta and is 0 and 36 minutes with Riikola and is -2.

51 minutes with Ruhwedel and -3, 19 minutes with Schultz and +1

Finally, 162 minutes with Oleksiak which is +4 (mostly Oleksiak-Maatta for +2)

That's all ES though. At 5v5, his numbers with Letang/Dumo drop to -1, with Dumo to -3 and with Letang to 0. The 15 minutes Malkin has spent with Letang at 4v4 or 3v3 (or other variation) account for half of his +/-. He's actually only a -3 at 5v5.

Current working hypothesis - keep Geno the **** away from overtime. In what I'm sure is complete coincidental news, Kessel goes from +7 to +1 when you go from ES to 5v5.
 

Phil68

Registered User
Jun 13, 2009
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But Geno is not just anybody. At least with terrible 'D" help he could be anywhere from + 1 to a - 5. But -14 on a team that is above 500. A lot of it is on him..
 

EightyOne

My posts are jokes. And hockey is just a game.
Nov 23, 2016
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Damn, I wanted a pattern of defense pairings he should avoid (that -7 w/Letang is interesting though). Benching him in OT should be easy enough though.
 

Giskard

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Jun 20, 2008
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Geno was in God mode just last October, he is in one of his funk, he'll be back to his form in spring when it count.
 

Peat

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Jun 14, 2016
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Damn, I wanted a pattern of defense pairings he should avoid (that -7 w/Letang is interesting though). Benching him in OT should be easy enough though.

Prior to this season, Geno and Tanger were at a -3 at 5v5 throughout the Sully era. Geno's a +lots away from Letang, and Letang is in minus territory but probably only thanks to that nightmare season. There's no obvious reason why they don't go together, but the numbers say its worth looking at further.

A stellar 2nd pairing would do a lot for Geno.
 

pi314

Registered User
Jun 10, 2017
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Windsor, ON
Malkin had stretches like this in the Bylsma era. All the same symptoms are there.

One of the things I've actually liked most about Sullivan in his tenure is that he made Geno way more consistent with his effort level. He became way less careless and paid more attention to detail. So this stretch has surprised me.

I'm not buying that he's hurt, or at least not that it's the lower body hampering his skating if he is. There were several segments yesterday where he was making power moves and pushing hard, like normal.

I think it's mental and that he'll be fine soon. Humans go through stretches where they struggle going to work on the daily. Not concerned.

How dare you accuse Geno of being human.
 
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SHOOTANDSCORE

Eeny Meeny Miny Moe
Sep 25, 2005
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He has about 600 minutes.

He's played about 100 minutes with Letang/Dumo and is +2

He's played 56 minutes with Dumo and is a -4 and 70 with Letang and is a -7.

He's played about 40 minutes with Johnson/Petterson and is a +1.

He's played 157 minutes with Johnson and is a -1 and 8 with Petterson and is -1

He's played 60 minutes with Maatta/Coughdrop and is -1

He's played 133 minutes with Maatta and is 0 and 36 minutes with Riikola and is -2.

51 minutes with Ruhwedel and -3, 19 minutes with Schultz and +1

Finally, 162 minutes with Oleksiak which is +4 (mostly Oleksiak-Maatta for +2)

That's all ES though. At 5v5, his numbers with Letang/Dumo drop to -1, with Dumo to -3 and with Letang to 0. The 15 minutes Malkin has spent with Letang at 4v4 or 3v3 (or other variation) account for half of his +/-. He's actually only a -3 at 5v5.

Current working hypothesis - keep Geno the **** away from overtime. In what I'm sure is complete coincidental news, Kessel goes from +7 to +1 when you go from ES to 5v5.
I was joking not too long ago that whenever Geno and Phil hit the ice in OT, you know the game is about to end. You just don't know who the winner will be.
 
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Tender Rip

Wears long pants
Feb 12, 2007
17,971
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Malkin's pain pains me :( .

He is -20 since November. That's 23 games in which he has 5 goals, 4 of them on the PP. Suppose the positive spin is that this is so bad it cannot last, and that this Pens team will be one of the best in the league again if you replace bad Geno with good Geno.

Refuse to think that this happening is far fetched with how he looked earlier in the season (even if he only really had a 10-15 game stretch of looking Geno'ish, that's a very different than what we've gotten since).
 
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Tom Hanks

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Nov 10, 2017
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Crosby went through a stretch last season where I had never seen him so bad. He’s playing as good (or close to it) as he ever has right now.

Malkin will get back to what he normally is. The last 4 games have been more encouraging.
 

2wayPlay

Registered User
Dec 25, 2018
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Malkin is in a funk. Hockey besides MLB hitting is probably the hardest sport to have success in. He will bounce back soon
 

Phil68

Registered User
Jun 13, 2009
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I don't see Malkin getting out of this unless he changes his game. He look genuinely slower while trying to play a speed game like when he was a bit younger. Hornqvist and Simon are not passers nor have a lot of speed. They are two grinders which works well with Crosby's overall game.
 

Tom Hanks

Spelling mistakes brought to you by my iPhone.
Nov 10, 2017
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I don't see Malkin getting out of this unless he changes his game. He look genuinely slower while trying to play a speed game like when he was a bit younger. Hornqvist and Simon are not passers nor have a lot of speed. They are two grinders which works well with Crosby's overall game.

Simon is actually a pretty good passer/playmaker. He hasn’t clicked with Malkin like he did with Sid. Simon is aggressive too and seems to be on the same page as Sid.
 
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Ryder71

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Nov 24, 2017
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Simon is actually a pretty good passer/playmaker. He hasn’t clicked with Malkin like he did with Sid. Simon is aggressive too and seems to be on the same page as Sid.
Simon is good in tight spaces and I'd like to give that line a bit more time to see if they can build some chemistry. I thought tonight was a positive step in that process.
 

ChaosAgent

Registered User
May 8, 2018
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I liked his G+A yesterday but I am legitimately worried that Malkin is entering his decline. It looks like his speed has declined while the game (and opposition centers) get incrementally faster. Mind you, I still think Malkin will be a good player but more of an "average 1C" instead of a top-5 center in the game moving forward.

He definitely misses Hagelin, the perfect winger for him who can forecheck and backcheck relentlessly, but I just think I'm witnessing the end of his prime. I don't know, it feels like an overreaction because he's snapped out of slumps before. But he is 32 with a lengthy injury history and footspeed is an issue.
 
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DesertPenguin

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Apr 22, 2015
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I liked his G+A yesterday but I am legitimately worried that Malkin is entering his decline. It looks like his speed has declined while the game (and opposition centers) get incrementally faster. Mind you, I still think Malkin will be a good player but more of an "average 1C" instead of a top-5 center in the game moving forward.

He definitely misses Hagelin, the perfect winger for him who can forecheck and backcheck relentlessly, but I just think I'm witnessing the end of his prime. I don't know, it feels like an overreaction because he's snapped out of slumps before. But he is 32 with a lengthy injury history and footspeed is an issue.
I can't think it's that hard to go get a forecheck/backcheck/paycheck LW for Geno if that's what he needs.

Geuntzel Crosby Rust
XXXXX Malkin Hornqvist
Pearson Brass Kessel
Cullen Sheahan ZAR/Simon

Send one of ZAR/Simon out if that's what it takes, or deal Brass and roll Sheahan/Cullen.
 
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