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Monday, February 1, 2010
As if seeing Jordan Staal and Evgeni Malkin on the ice together for the opening faceoff wasn't daunting enough, imagine what was going through the minds of the Detroit Red Wings when Staal split their top defensive pairing for a shorthanded shot in the second period.
Anyone have a flashback of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final?
Detroit tends to bring out the best in Staal, who has tortured the Red Wings in their past nine meetings by scoring five goals, including a third-period hat trick in an overtime victory in November 2008.
"I guess so," Staal said. "They're always big games and they're always tough. It's always exciting and challenging for any player out there."
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 31: Evgeni Malkin(notes) #71 and Jordan Staal(notes) #11 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate their shootout victory against the Detroit Red Wings at Mellon Arena on January 31, 2010 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Penguins defeated the Red Wings 2-1. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)Staal didn't score a goal Sunday afternoon, but Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said it would have been befitting if Staal had, considering how close he came and how he otherwise starred in the 2-1 shootout victory over the Red Wings before a standing-room-only crowd at Mellon Arena.
"It's been a long time since I had one," Staal of his drought since scoring two goals against Atlanta on Jan. 5. "I thought I was going to get one, but I'm going in the right direction and I'm going to keep playing that way."
Bylsma had multiple motivations for putting Staal and Malkin on the same line. One was to help snap Staal's 11-game goal-less streak by pairing him with Malkin, who endured a similar streak but has scored seven goals and 17 points in the past 12 games. Another was to add a two-way presence to play alongside Malkin, who is minus-6 in that span.
"I like the defensive presence that Staal brings to that line," said Bylsma, referring to Staal's team-best plus-12 rating. "It gives Geno a chance to focus on his speed, getting the puck and playing in the offensive zone.
"They obviously played very well."
Well enough that Staal and Malkin won't mind if they stay together.
Even though Malkin left his comfort zone by playing on the right wing, he endorsed the idea of staying on the same line with Staal when the Penguins play host to Buffalo at 7 tonight.
"I think (so) because we won and we played good - the whole team," Malkin said. "Why not stay?"
And Staal doesn't seem to mind, either, even though having Sidney Crosby, Malkin and Staal center their own lines has been pivotal to the Penguins' success, especially against the Red Wings the past two Cup Finals.
"We'll see how long that will last," Staal said. "We both deserve to play center, but it's always nice to play with such a talented player. It felt good, playing with Geno. You just try to give him the puck and go to the net. When you're playing with him, good things happen."
Except for the time Malkin's inadvertent stick opened a gash across Staal's nose, just after Malkin fed Staal for a shot between the circles. For drawing blood, Malkin told Staal that he was owed a goal.
And Staal came incredibly close to getting one.
When Malkin drew a tripping penalty in the second period, Staal stole the crowd's breath by splitting defensemen Nicklas Lidstrom and Brian Rafalski for the shorthanded shot from the left circle. For a moment, it was reminiscent of Staal's Game 4 goal in the Cup Final last year, when he shrugged off Rafalski to score, tying the game and turning the series.
In the third period, Malkin set up Staal for a backhand from the right side of the net, one that hit the post and skimmed across the goal line. Later, Staal swatted the puck in mid-air and bounced it off the post again.
But Staal's real value isn't with his scoring but rather his strength in the defensive zone, which is why his 24 minutes, 36 seconds of ice time was the most among Penguins forwards. His best play came in the final minute of regulation - when he broke up Pavel Datsyuk's shot that sent Staal's stick flying - and in overtime. When Sergei Gonchar drew a hooking penalty, Staal was on the penalty-kill unit that kept the Red Wings from scoring.
"That's a young man who's not that old," Bylsma said of the 21-year-old Staal, "but doesn't play like it."
And a young man who hasn't scored a goal in a long time, but proved that he doesn't need one to be dominant.
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