http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
These words are not a warning to the NHL.
These words are not a response to critics.
These words are simply an expression of Penguins center Evgeni Malkin's feelings 47 games into a "bad" season in which he has scored 18 goals and recorded 53 points.
"Yeah, I'm back to being Geno," he said Monday night after single-handedly sucking the life out of Madison Square Garden midway through third period in the Penguins' 4-2 win over the New York Rangers.
Penguins star center Evgeni Malkin has provided the Penguins a boost over the last week.
Chaz Palla Tribune-Review
Those words might seem obvious given Malkin's five goals and 10 points in five games since a stretch of 22 contests over which he produced five goals and 18 points. In reality, production played only a minor role in his proclamation.
For Malkin, "back" is rising to the occasion and providing the Penguins' a potent performance on a shift when they need it most, or...
"Exactly what he did (Monday night)," defenseman Brooks Orpik said.
"That's what he does," center Sidney Crosby said, regarding Malkin drawing a penalty and scoring on a power play not long after the Rangers took a 2-1 lead.
Rangers center Artem Anisimov had snapped a tie score with 10:45 remaining in regulation. Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar said the goal "felt like one of those deflating ones." Malkin held a different opinion.
"Maybe their players (would) relax," he said of his thoughts prior to stepping on the ice for the ensuing shift. "It (could be) a good chance for us."
Fifteen seconds later he had drawn a slashing penalty from Rangers winger Marian Gaborik, who spent only 16 seconds in the sin bin because Malkin ripped his 18th marker past goalie Henrik Lundqvist to pull the Penguins even, 2-2, and turn the "world's most famous arena" into the NHL's quietest at that moment.
A minute after that goal, forward Chris Conner pushed the Penguins in front. Less than nine minutes later, Malkin set up winger Pascal Dupuis' empty-net score that sealed the Penguins' seventh win in 11 games.
The night belonged to Conner, who scored twice after receiving a phone call Monday morning informing him of a promotion from the AHL. Malkin was happy to avoid a gathering of reporters while heading for the trainer's room as Conner held court in the Penguins dressing room.
About 45 minutes after the Penguins secured a seventh win in 11 games, Malkin emerged wearing a form-fitting charcoal suit with pinstripes. His hair was wet and matted to his head as he placed his autograph on the stick he used to score the goal.
The subject of his slump from Nov. 30-Jan. 14, raised by the Tribune-Review, was met with something not seen much from Malkin, at least publicly, over the past few months.
"I feel the same now," he said, holding a smile after laughing at the topic. "No, no; I'm lucky. This is a great team. I played bad, and the guys supported me. They helped me."
The unexpected brush of human-like production was baffling to Malkin, who last season won the NHL scoring title and was elected playoff MVP for scoring the most postseason points (36) since 1993. He has denied that recent local criticism hit hard, but teammates could sense Malkin was at a breaking point when the Penguins left for a five-game road trip earlier this month.
"When the puck is not going in and you lose, it's not always easy to take criticism," said Crosby, arguably the NHL's most scrutinized player and, like Malkin, possessing an $8.7 million individual salary-cap hit.
"That's the position he's in. That's the position some of us are in, but (Monday night) was (an example of) his game — and it shows how he can change games."
Neither Orpik nor Gonchar, two of Malkin's closest friends, felt Malkin was in danger of slipping into an abyss during his slide from the ranks of top-tier scorers. He said they, along with winger Ruslan Fedotenko, helped isolate a problem with his game — a sketchy skating stride.
"You could see it in his moves. He was not confident with them. He hesitated," Gonchar said. "Look at him now, and there is no hesitation. He isn't inside his head. He's just playing.
"That is how he can do what he did (Monday night)."
Orpik cited a Jan. 14 game at Edmonton, where Malkin recorded seven shots but no points, as the start of his turnaround.
"He's just been skating so much better since that game," Orpik said. "I don't know what it is, but it looks like he's got that extra jump he's used to having.
"He looks like he's back to his old self."
Added Malkin: "Yes, I'm back."
Multiplicity
Center Evgeni Malkin has recorded multiple points in three of his past five games. With 16 multiple-point games, he is on pace for 26 in 75 games; Malkin missed seven games early in the season because of a right shoulder injury. A look at his multiple-point games from the last three seasons:
Season: Multiple-point games
2008-09: 32
2007-08: 28
2006-07: 23
Source: ESPN.com
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