Malkin's the man

By Joe Starkey, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/
Sunday, May 10, 2009

WASHINGTON - MAY 09: Evgeni Malkin #71 and Chris Kunitz #14 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate Malkin's overtime winning goal over the Washington Capitals during Game Five of the Eastern Conference Semifinal Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 9, 2009 at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC. (Photo by Len Redkoles/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON — Somebody asked Evgeni Malkin if the Penguins' pulsating, 4-3 victory Saturday night was "for Sarge."

"Yeah, it sure was," he said.

"Sarge" is injured Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar, whose absence last night might have dealt a lesser team a mortal blow.

Not these Penguins.

Certainly not Malkin, who announced his considerable presence in Game 3 and has been as good as or better than anyone since then — including countryman Alex Ovechkin, the guy who knocked Gonchar out of the Penguins' lineup with a wicked, knee-on-knee hit in Game 4.

Malkin could relate. Ovechkin tried to take him out Jan. 21 of last season with a maniacal blind-side run. Malkin dipped his shoulder at the last instant and sent Ovechkin careening into the boards.

"Very dangerous hit," Malkin's agent, J.P. Barry, later said. "Had (Ovechkin) actually (landed the blow), it would been a disciplinary-type hit."

Barry knows better than that now, having seen Ovechkin go unpunished for the hit on Gonchar, who also is a Barry client.

I'm not buying that Malkin and Ovechkin suddenly are great friends, either, despite their little skit at the All-Star Game. I asked Malkin earlier this season if there was truth to the wide-spread allegation that in August of 2007, at a Moscow nightclub, Ovechkin punched out his Russian agent, Gennady Ushakov.

Ovechkin has denied the story.

I asked Malkin if it had happened.

"Yes," he said. "Bad situation."

Kind of like the one the Penguins found themselves in after two periods last night. The Capitals had erased a 1-0 deficit and taken a 2-1 lead on goals by Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom.

Verizon Center was rocking.

Malkin un-rocked it when he set up Ruslan Fedotenko's goal 51 seconds into the period with a gorgeous, between-the-legs drop pass.

The Penguins went ahead, then saw the indomitable Ovechkin tie it with 4:08 left in regulation.

Enter Malkin, again.

This time, he drew a penalty on Milan Jurcina by driving hard to the net 1:29 into overtime. The Penguins were about to squander the power play when Chris Kunitz fed Malkin, who took off down the right wing with Sidney Crosby headed for the net.

Malkin's pass to Crosby — which looked right on target — banked off the stick of Capitals' defenseman Tom Poti and past goaltender Simeon Varlamov.

The Penguins celebrated like it was 1991. Or '92, '95, '96, 2000 or '01 — all the years they have tortured the Capitals in the playoffs.

This year's series is following a familiar script, with the Penguins falling behind early, then initiating a Capital meltdown on Washington's part.

Malkin was a target last night. Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau, in an effort to get Ovechkin away from the Jordan Staal line, sent Ovechkin out against Malkin's line every time he could.

Ovechkin was fantastic, but Malkin — who wasn't on the ice for either of Ovechkin's goals — won the battle.

Malkin had six shots, more than anyone on the team except Fedotenko (and a lot of Fedotenko's 10 shots were set up by No. 71). Fittingly, Malkin also led the Penguins in ice time (22:59), which is something Gonchar — his former landlord — did on a nightly basis.

All the Penguins seemed as inspired as Malkin, in terms of their feelings toward Gonchar, a quiet leader who is revered in the dressing room.

"(Winning) is the only way we can kind of ease his pain," Crosby said.

Malkin's teammates saw the determination in his eyes.

"You know what, there are at least three guys in this series who can take it upon themselves to change a game," said Penguins defenseman Philippe Boucher, who returned to the lineup and acquitted himself nicely in 13 minutes. "Sid came close to ending it, too. It's something to see when one of those guys decides, 'OK, I'm going to end it.' "

All three of "those guys" — Crosby, Ovechkin and Malkin — likely had that thought running through their craniums in overtime.

Malkin made it happen.

For Sarge, of course.