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.