From Saturday's Toronto Globe and Mail
April 11, 2008 at 11:32 PM EDT
PITTSBURGH - APRIL 11: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates in front of a Ottawa Senators defender during game two of the 2008 NHL Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series on April 11, 2008 at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/NHLI via Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH — If anyone is looking for Exhibit A in why the Pittsburgh Penguins are a team transformed in this year's NHL playoffs, they can start with Evgeni Malkin.
One year ago, 14 of the large collection of Penguins youngsters made their playoff debuts. As most of them will admit now, they were an overawed bunch and the Ottawa Senators easily disposed of them in five games in the opening round.
None of the 14 had a less distinguished playoff debut than Malkin. He did have four assists in five games but the 6-foot-3, 200-pound centre was a ghostly presence, tip-toeing through the series.
Considering he ran up 33 goals and 52 assists for 85 points in his first NHL season after arriving from Russia, this was quite a disappointment.
But one year later, that embarrassing run is long forgotten. The Senators are once again the Penguins' playoff opponents but the team roles are reversed, as the youthful Penguins are putting last year's experience to work with their wonderful talent.
No one embodies this more than Malkin, who is now The Force From Magnitogorsk after his work in the first two games of this year's series.
The 21-year-old from Magnitogorsk, Russia had three points in Game 1 and was again the star of the game last night with another three points that allowed the Penguins to escape with a 5-3 win that gave them a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference quarter-final.
Malkin set up the Penguins' first three goals, two of them on the power play, to stake the hosts to a 3-0 lead. He also played a lead role killing penalties and was a physical force, using his big frame to flatten a couple of Senators, including tough winger Chris Neil.
"Yeah, one year's experience is a big deal," Malkin said through an interpreter, as his confidence in his English is not the same as his confidence in his playmaking skills. "I feel more comfortable."
There are two reasons for this, he said. One is that this year he is playing his natural position, centre, rather than on the wing, which he did a year ago. The other is having Petr Sykora on his right wing. They played together for Magnitogorsk Metallurg in the Russian league in 2004-05 when Sykora signed on during the NHL lockout.
"This year I'm playing with Sykora, I feel more familiar with this guy," Malkin said. "I feel much more comfortable this year than compared to last year."
You would have to go back to a former Penguin, 6-foot-4 superstar Mario Lemieux, to find a player who combines size with such considerable skill and speed. It is far too presumptuous to compare Malkin with the great Lemieux, of course, but so far in this series he is the most dominant player.
Asked how long he can keep up the Lemieux impersonation, Malkin smiled and said. "I am going to try my best to be myself."
In the second period last night, Malkin made two set-up plays on Penguins goals that left observers shaking their heads in wonder and the 17,132 fans at Mellon Arena roaring. The second setup, five minutes after the first one, was a thing of beauty.
Malkin came down the left side toward Senators goaltender Martin Gerber and, as he approached the top of the faceoff circle, lifted his stick to fake a shot. Gerber and both of his defencemen went for the fake. Malkin then flicked a pass across the high slot to Sykora, who once again ripped a one-timer to the open side of the net.
"He gives me those one-timers because the goalies do not know if he's going to shoot or pass," Sykora said. "That's why I get so much room."
At this point, the Senators looked ready for burial. Only Gerber, who faced 40 shots in the first two periods, kept them in the game. Six of those 40 shots came from Malkin. But the Sens managed to tie the score in the third period, throwing a momentary scare into the Pens.
Malkin remained a force with two breakaways in the first half of the period. Then the Penguins' other superstar stepped forward. Crosby set up the winning goal by Ryan Malone and assisted on Malone's empty-netter.
Now, with the series headed to Ottawa, the reeling Senators know they have to figure out a way to control Malkin if they are to make this anything less than a sweep, let alone a win.
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