PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Carolina Hurricanes' Matt Cullen (8) chases Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin (71), from Russia, as Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) skates between them during the first period of an NHL hockey game in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008. Pittsburgh won 5-2.
OTTAWA -- All smiles and in a joking mood Thursday night following the Penguins' 5-2 victory at Carolina, center Evgeni Malkin appeared completely unfazed by a stark reality, as he casually leaned forward against a stationary bike.
A hockey player of reputable skill is closing fast on he and the top of the NHL scoring list.
No sooner had that point been brought to Malkin's attention than he kiddingly threatened to halt the conversation.
"Go away," Malkin said. "Only talk about good stuff."
Malkin, the NHL's leading scorer entering Friday with 41 points, and teammate Sidney Crosby, second with 39, have the "good stuff" going for the Penguins, who are 1-0-1 on a three-game road trip that concludes today in Ottawa.
"They're something," general manager Ray Shero said. "They're competing really hard. Incredibly hard, actually.
"There's healthy and unhealthy competition. This is healthy, and I think they both realize, as we've said for a long time, they both make each other better."
They make the Penguins better. That much is indisputable.
Despite a heavy load of offseason turnover and an injury bug that refuses to go away, the Penguins (15-6-4, 34 points) again appear to rate among the handful of clubs that can realistically hope to win the Stanley Cup.
That comes as no surprise to a former teammate now playing in Detroit.
"Sid and Geno, they're such pure talents," Red Wings right wing Marian Hossa said in November. "But their willingness to be better every day is what makes them so great.
"(The Penguins) have had some changes. They have some new guys and they're missing some guys that are hurt. But they've got Sid and Geno, and there's not a lot those two can't do."
Call them the "Dynamic Duo," though keep in mind that neither Malkin nor Crosby digs that tag.
No matter their nickname -- "Mega Powers" has gained steam recently on the Internet -- there is reason to believe this season could be remembered as the point in hockey history when two transcendent talents firmly asserted themselves as a center tandem for the ages.
They're doing so, seemingly, by doing fine impersonations of one another.
Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby, left, and Evgeni Malkin (71) sit on the bench as hats are cleared off the ice following Crosby's third goal of the game against the New Jersey Devils in a NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh Saturday, Nov. 29, 2008. The Penguins won 4-1.
Malkin, 22 and in his third NHL season, has transformed from a flashy, if streaky, goal-scorer into a He-Man-like helper. He paced the league with 31 assists as of yesterday, his two latest coming against the Hurricanes.
Consistency is the real reason Malkin was leading Art Ross Trophy consideration: He has recorded a point in 21 of 25 games and has multiple points in 12 of the past 20.
"That's the only way you can really be successful," Crosby said. "If you're thinking about only playing one way -- that only works for so long."
Crosby would know.
Heralded as the game's top playmaker practically since his debut four years ago, he is on a traditionally Malkin-esque tear with 14 points in his past five games. Six of those points have been goals; Crosby has 13 this season.
After absorbing some heat locally and nationally in October for his lack of goal-scoring - three in 11 games that month - Crosby is on pace for a career-best 43-goal season.
"Sid is so good," Malkin said. "Whatever he wants to do, he can. He's a great player."
Crosby is the Penguins' unquestioned driving force. He is a fierce competitor, whose intensity on the surface presents a stark contrast to the public's perception of Malkin - that of a shy and often willing sidekick to the Penguins' 21-year-old captain.
Teammates insist the competitive characteristic that defines the Malkin-Crosby dynamic is as perfect as it is misunderstood.
"(Malkin) is more of a leader than people probably give him credit for," forward Max Talbot said. "(Crosby) wants to win, maybe more than anybody I know, but most of all, he just wants to have fun."
That last word is the one Malkin used Thursday to assess the current state of the club and his relationship with Crosby.
"The team wins and it's great," Malkin said. "And (with) me and Sid, it's great because it's fun."
Rob Rossi can be reached at rrossi@tribweb.com or 412-380-5635.
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