Malkin vs Ovechkin for this years playoffs

[Mackinnonen]

Who would you rather take for this years playoffs?

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[JoVel]

For Tampa, Ovi, but in a vacuum probably Malkin.

 

[bobholly39]

I think this is the first playoffs in probably 10 years where i vote Ov to this question

 

[Kuz]

Malkin did not have a strong playoff last year and havent been close to his best in the regular season. Ovi had a conn smythe last year and a much better regular season this year.

Cant see the reason to go for Malkin this year. It is starting to be some years ago since he had the best playoffs after the lockout.

 

[authentic]

Probably Ovechkin, he has been killing it for almost 2 full seasons now including playoffs.

 

[Regal]

I'd never count out Malkin from taking over a playoff series, but Ovechkin really rounded offensive game and has been much more of a 5v5 threat the past two seasons compared to many seasons since his peak, which I think correlates with playoff success and was a big reason for the Caps putting it all together last year. I would have taken Malkin pretty consistently since Ovechkin's peak, because he was the better play driver and made everyone around him better, but I like where Ovechkin's game has been at these two seasons, and Malkin has had a poor year by his standards. I would take Ovechkin right now.

 

[KIRK]

Malkin did not have a strong playoff last year and havent been close to his best in the regular season. Ovi had a conn smythe last year and a much better regular season this year.

Cant see the reason to go for Malkin this year. It is starting to be some years ago since he had the best playoffs after the lockout.

Good point.

Plus, it's not like Malkin led the 2017 playoffs in scoring or anything like that.

Joke aside, the question with Malkin always is the same. Is he fresh and healthy?

Last year, he wasn't fresh going into the playoffs. He emptied the tank in his killer January and February, and it showed as he went into the playoffs playing on fumes (and that was BEFORE screwing up his knee against the Flyers).

The year before, he missed the last month of the regular season and entered the playoffs healthy and fresh . . . and led the playoffs in scoring.

The year before that, 2016, he had the shoulder injury. Missed the last month of the regular season and entered the playoffs fresh and with one good arm. Was third on the Pens in scoring on a line with a broken down Chris Kunitz and Bryan Rust but managed to play on the playoffs best possession line by far.

This year? I'd look less to how Malkin was playing and more to how he's going into the playoffs.

On the one hand, he's going to be fresh, likely missing the last month of the regular season.

On the other hand, he's got a rib injury. There probably has been enough time to heal that breathing when he skates hard won't be an issue, but you don't know how bad it is and to what degree it will limit his ability to shoot.

End of the day, I'd take Ovechkin too, but there's no reason to concoct a stupid Malkin hasn't done anything for 10 years explanation to justify the choice when you simply can look smart by saying (a) Ovechkin is playing better, (b) Ovechkin plays on a better line, and (c) Malkin's health is a question mark.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Ovechkin because Malkin is injured and didn't have a great season to begin with. Healthy Malkin in 2017 lead the playoffs in scoring though - that version i'd take over Ov.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Cant see the reason to go for Malkin this year.

Well Malkin has outscored Ovechkin on a per game basis in both the regular season and the playoffs as a whole for his entire career, for starters.

 

[The Moose is Loose]

Ovi has been significantly better this season. So him.

 

[Sam Spade]

Malkin is a much more dynamic player but health matters. Ovechkin all day, every day.

Also, do you ever notice how when Malkin has a rough series it is because he has to be injured but when Ovechkin does the same it is because he is just not that good.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Well Malkin has outscored Ovechkin on a per game basis in both the regular season and the playoffs as a whole for his entire career, for starters.

Not that the whole career has anything to do with today, but it's easier to have a higher PPG when you play 200 less games and have a guy like Crosby doing the heavy lifting.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Not that the whole career has anything to do with today, but it's easier to have a higher PPG when you play 200 less games and have a guy like Crosby doing the heavy lifting.

You mean a rival C who gets the first line minutes over Malkin? That’s probably why Malkin’s points/game goes up when Crosby is out of the lineup.

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

You mean a rival C who gets the first line minutes over Malkin? That’s probably why Malkin’s points/game goes up when Crosby is out of the lineup.

No I mean a C who takes the toughest matchups every game. Wow what a huge sample size there. There's a difference with playing 100 games against top matchups and playing 1000.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

No I mean a C who takes the toughest matchups every game. Wow what a huge sample size there. There's a difference with playing 100 games against top matchups and playing 1000.

It’s closer to a 200 game sample size. Two full seasons. So yeah, I think Malkin’s proven he’s better as a 1C who gets 1C icetime and opportunities, as people would expect.

 

[Midnight Judges]

No I mean a C who takes the toughest matchups every game. Wow what a huge sample size there. There's a difference with playing 100 games against top matchups and playing 1000.

Crosby's line doesn't always get the toughest match-ups though.

There have been plenty of years when Malkin was the bigger offensive threat and opposing teams planned accordingly.

 

[Taluss]

Usually Malkin, but rn Ovi easily

 

[tony d]

I went with Ovie.

 

[KIRK]

Malkin is a much more dynamic player but health matters. Ovechkin all day, every day.

Also, do you ever notice how when Malkin has a rough series it is because he has to be injured but when Ovechkin does the same it is because he is just not that good.

Well, I can't speak to Ovechkin, but history shows when Malkin has a rough series/playoffs, it's infinitely more likely because he's hurt.

 

[hockey4sale]

Who should I pick? The best goal scorer of all time or a guy on IR? Tough choice really!

 

[KoozNetsOff 92]

Crosby's line doesn't always get the toughest match-ups though.

There have been plenty of years when Malkin was the bigger offensive threat and opposing teams planned accordingly.

Other than seasons when Crosby was hurt this has basically never happened. Yes maybe a few games here and there, but in general no. Proof is in the playoffs too. The top D always goes against Crosby. In all the pens 4 SCF the top guys were out against Crosby. The last 3 seasons the cup final was basically caps vs pens and Backstrom and best D pair was always against Crosby.

 

[bathdog]

Well, I can't speak to Ovechkin, but history shows when Malkin has a rough series/playoffs, it's infinitely more likely because he's hurt.

Sounds like we can just wait until after the series and inarguably determine whether Malkin was hurt or not depending on his performance.

 

[Midnight Judges]

Other than seasons when Crosby was hurt this has basically never happened. Yes maybe a few games here and there, but in general no. Proof is in the playoffs too. The top D always goes against Crosby. In all the pens 4 SCF the top guys were out against Crosby. The last 3 seasons the cup final was basically caps vs pens and Backstrom and best D pair was always against Crosby.

We can get data on this but I'm not sure that's all quite accurate.

Last year Ovechkin played with Kuz, not Backstrom, and Trotz was putting the Ovie line out against Crosby's line quite often.

 

[KIRK]

Sounds like we can just wait until after the series and inarguably determine whether Malkin was hurt or not depending on his performance.

Yes, exactly, because that's clearly what I wrote, Stevie Wonder.