Mothra
The Groovy Guru
MeffyuhTJRest said:New article from Russian Hockey Digest.
http://www.rushockey.com/events.php?i=sl&stream=sl_interviews&id=412
odd....not one mention of his small, brittle bones
MeffyuhTJRest said:New article from Russian Hockey Digest.
http://www.rushockey.com/events.php?i=sl&stream=sl_interviews&id=412
clefty said:I don't think thats true at all. Firstly, Malkin is the same age Ovechkin was in his last season in Russia. When he plays in the NHL doesn't matter, what matters is what he does when he gets there. And without doubt, this season he's playing Russia has been a HUGE developmental process for him where he's become one of the league's elite. I can't imagine how sky-high his confidence is.
And secondly, if you read the article, Malkin decided to stay where he is and then try the NHL route next year. Where did Pittsburgh make the mistake? They wanted to sign him, but he wanted to stay in Russia this season. What can they do? Forge his signature, kidnap him and force him to play?
Tjardus Greidanus said:For as good as Crosby & Ovechkin are, already, it seems like it would be impossible to say this...but I still will because I firmly believe it.
Malkin will end up being better than both.
There may be some bias in it(but you do also have to take note that Crosby is a Penguin as well), but I feel that Evgeni Malkin will be the best player in the NHL at one point or another.
Just picturing Malkin and Crosby together makes me need a new pair of pants.
Anksun said:I'm still a supporter of Malkin, i was impressed by him last wjc, a lot more than Ovechkin in fact. But that nhl year of Ovechkin will show a bigger gap between both those guys at the beginning of the next nhl season.
Exactly. That's what I saw too. I watched every moment of every game, even saw some games two times. As a Canadian living abroad I got to use mediazone's online blanket coverage of the tourney. Canadians in Canada couldn't see every game, and don't know what they were missing!EroCaps said:Malkin blew me away at the WJC. I thought he looked better and showed more potential than SC w/his combination of speed/size/vision.
EuroCaps, myself and others who watched every game share your judgementAnksun said:...Malkin, i was impressed by him last wjc, a lot more than Ovechkin in fact...
That's where awards and accolades are handed out. But those stats are misleading. Overall, I'd say Malkin demonstrated more talent and potential. This takes nothing away from Ovechkin.EroCaps said:Ovechkin finished the WC w/5 goals, 3 assists, leading Russia in points, goals and GWG.
Malkin w/4 assists.
VanIslander said:That's where awards and accolades are handed out. But those stats are misleading. Overall, I'd say Malkin demonstrated more talent and potential. This takes nothing away from Ovechkin.
Zine said:Yeah, he's eligible. But I remember reading something about Metallurg not releasing him to play because he's too valuable to them.
Mothra said:I too was impressed with Malkin and it was great to finally to see him play.....but I am wondering what you mean by being more impressed? That he was the better player or that you saw something that made you think, in time, he would end up being better.....Ovechkin, in my eyes, was clearly Russia's best player at the WJC, seeing how he won tourny's best forward kind of supports that as well
Anksun said:I should have explained myself better. What i was trying to said was simple:
Malkin WAS ready for nhl time THIS year. While the experience in russia WONT HURT, imo the best year in a LONG time to make the jump in the nhl was this year.
Everyone is adjusting to "new rules", everyone did miss nhl caliber hockey last year and the nhl is just more open than in a long time. We have no way to know how it will be done, but we know players will start adjusting, find new ways to make better checking on the opposition (and so on). I think the scoring will remained higher, but every player in the nhl this year will have 1 full year of adjusting time over a young stud like Malkin (who should have got that 1 year now), including Ovechkin.
I'm still a supporter of Malkin, i was impressed by him last wjc, a lot more than Ovechkin in fact. But that nhl year of Ovechkin will show a bigger gap between both those guys at the beginning of the next nhl season.
A BIG mistake? nope.
A missed opportunity to put Malkin in the best possible position to adjust and growth as a player in a new system? definitly.
flambers said:How do you figure? In Russia Ovechkin was better than Malkin, sure Malkin is a great prospect but there is no way he is better than Crosby & Ovechkin.
VanIslander said:In their own end Malkin went into the corners a few times while Ovechkin stayed back near the net. You could always see who Malkin's man was. With Ovechkin you weren't always sure who he was covering defensively, though he may have been eyeing someone from a distance
Jaded-Fan said:Out of curiosity, is my math (and memory of the rule changes) correct as to his age and a silver lining in Malkin staying over in Russia that additional year? Will the Pens get one more year in his prime before he becomes an UFA than they would have had he come over this year?
SSJTOM said:Well how old is he now?
Unrestricted free agency will become 27 OR 7 years played.
meaning the minimum UFA age will be 25 but only for those who broke into the league as 18 year olds freshly drafted only a few short months before.
So Evgeni is what 19-20 now?
he'll probably be restricted untill he's 27.
VanIslander said:Well I just finished re-watching the third period of the first Russian game of the WC. Except for the last five minutes, when Markov's great takeaway and pass to Kovalev caused the game winner and Kovalchuk got an easy empty netter, the game could have gone either way, and Russia looked poor for most of the period, as the announcer put it midway through the 3rd period: Russians are talented "but they don't bring it to the ice" in the game and lacked "team spirit" in the game. But I knew that already. I was surprised to notice this time that Yashin played better than I'd thought, defensively anyway. He was in their faces often. Afinogenov impressed me with his willingness to take abuse in traffic. Kovalchuk was AWOL most of the period and Datsyuk was a ghost compared to his play earlier in the game. Anyways, to the rookies...
Malkin stops a guy on the right boards, takes the puck away. ( + 1 ) Later on the shift he moves the puck from his own goalie crease up the middle to the right side and into the offensive zone, deking two checks, drops back to the blueline to avoid a third check, shoots a long shot into traffic. ( + 1 ) Ovechkin was there to get a rebound shot. ( + 1 )
Ovechkin moves to offensive blueline looking for a pass, circles back when doesn't come, Malkin gets the puck and passes up to Ovechkin on the left side. ( + 1 each ) Nothing comes of the play and Austria surges the other way with Ovechkin down on the ice. Malkin hustled back up the middle as the third man to cover the pass ( + 0.5 ) . The Austrian left winger on the far outside scores an incredibly bad angle goal on a wobbly shot that the announcer even admitted Sokolov should have stopped.
Ovechkin later positions himself well, looking for a loose puck at the goal crease ( + 0.5 ) after Afinogenov shows great hustle, grit and determination surging from the right baords through traffic, making the Austrian defender take a penalty to stop him. No shot by anyone on the play. (Russia only had 4 shots in the first 15 minutes of the period. The top two lines were sitting back on a one-goal lead and only late in the period turned it on to score when the game became tied.)
Malkin makes another surge up the ice with the puck, going up the middle, then to the right side, making a fine pass to Afinogenov coming across the middle ( + 1 ). Afinogenov gets stripped of the puck by the defender but the announcer takes the moment to praise Malkin's created scoring opportunity.
Ovechkin spins and makes a good shot on net from the left circle ( + 1 ) but then later on the shift doesn't get off the ice on the line change, staying deep in the offensive zone, then doesn't try to stop Setzinger ( - 0.5, these acts together make him partially responsible for what happened next) who recovers the puck deep in the Austrian zone and Setzinger goes coast to coast (!) past Ovechkin and the new line that'd just stepped out on the ice for a highlight Setzinger play that almost ended in a goal.
Ovechkin goes to the net late after Afinogenov brings the puck through traffic and crashes at the crease. (It's not clear, even upon review, whether Ovechkin should have gone to the net earlier, or whether he was positioned well for the rebound. It was messy play and everyone ended up on their butts. So no points either way. Just a strange play that stood out.)
So, for the third period, in terms of observed good plays by the two youngsters: 4.5 to Malkin, 3 to Ovechkin.
--------------
For the entire game:
Malkin-Ovechkin
3 - 2.5
2 - 1
4.5 - 3
=
9.5 - 6.5
The numbers are only used to get relative comparisons. One point is simply one observed good play. Just like the first two times I watched that game, Malkin IMPRESSED more even though Ovechkin is the one who got a goal.
I will re-watch every other Russian game for the tourney and point out likewise. It will become clear that those of us who did observe Malkin as the MOST impressive youngster on the ice for team russia aren't myopic fans. Indeed, many who were impressed like me had no opinion of Malkin or Ovechkin beforehand.
I do need to say that this NHL season Ovechkin has impressed me a lot more than he did in the WC. He is being much more physical in the NHL and plays his best when the game is on the line late in the third and in overtime.
Why bother then?Mothra said:while the effort is appreciated I think this is kind of pointless....for example you are giving +1 for deking or a nice skate up ice....and the same +1 for scoring a goal. Just doesnt make sense to me...also, like I said earlier, one would expect that a center would be seen more deep in the defensive zone as that is almost always his responsibility....just like a winger will generally be deeper in the offensive zone. Not sure why that is a surprise to you.....but in any case, i'll keep reading if you keep posting......Just dont think the point system youve come up with is justified
Jakethesnake said:Hey mothra whats your vandetta agsint VanIslander?? Can someone please pull him off VanIslander?
Whats so hard to understand that VanIslander thinks Malkin showed more talent than Malkin?? Its not rocket surgery here.
Have you never seem a game where a player may have had 10 shots, was flying around the ice and was just overall awesome, and his teammate scores 1 crappy goal from a tap in. Who had the better game? Im not saying that was exactly happen in the above game, but its what VanIslander is trying to show. Malkin showed a ton of skill without putting up the points of ovechkin. Sheesh