Puck Talk with Popchock: Patience with Geno Will Pay Off
By Matt Popchock
I generally don't mind when other fans complain, not even at a high volume. Actually, I believe, if anything, it's an exercise that benefits all parties involved, because as an employee of this radio station, I am in the complaining business, so to speak. But what do bother me are emotionally-tainted complaints that demonstrate an absence of vision.
I hear such ignorance whenever a Penguin fan utters the words "Malkin" and "trade" in the same sentence. The fact that there is a blog dedicated exclusively to the concept of dealing the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner to the L.A. Kings disgusts me, so imagine my annoyance when a Facebook follower recently tried to explain in detail why moving Geno would be a good idea.
We know what raw skill Malkin brings, and we know he's only one year older than Sidney Crosby, so although his 2010-11 campaign is off to an uncharacteristically slow start, his trade value may be at or near its peak. However, any general manager worth his salt knows that, to improve one's team with any trade, especially a blockbuster one that would involve marquee talent, one must get the most desirable players by dealing from a position of strength. In spite of a recent winning streak that somewhat contradicts my claim, forward is not a position where the Pens can afford such a permanent hit to their depth chart.
Entering Monday's night's home contest against the Phoenix Coyotes Evgeni Malkin is the team's only double-digit goal scorer (11) other than Sidney Crosby. His 127 shots on goal are four more than Sid has managed, and with 25 points in 28 games he is one of only three Penguin forwards, including Crosby, to score more than 20 as the midway point of the season nears. This is a top-heavy team, so for the Pens to distance themselves from the beleaguered Russian would be both callous and catastrophic to their long-term aspirations.
In order to fulfill long-term aspirations, long-term contributions are necessary. Throw in the semi-obvious fact that Malkin has been the franchise's second-highest scoring player since the lockout. End of discussion, right?
Wrong...then comes the talk of Geno putting up un-Geno-like numbers for a second consecutive regular season. True, he has experienced a statistical downturn since hoisting the Stanley Cup--he's on pace for a modest 70-plus points if he stays healthy--but Penguin fans need to have faith in their superstar.
Hopefully they were paying attention to the operative word in that last sentence, which is, "healthy." Until last Wednesday's loss in Philadelphia, Malkin simply hasn't been that, and last season injuries derailed him as well. But now that his knee appears to be healed, we've been reminded of his greatness. The win streak ended last Wednesday, but Geno's two power play goals kept his team in the game, and the next night he scored a pretty goal against Henrik Lundqvist that was perhaps the only redeeming quality of a humbling loss to the Rangers.
The third-period penalty he took in that loss to the hated Flyers turned out to be a costly one, but cool your jets, folks. Geno has only 14 penalty minutes this season coming off a regular season in which he served a career-worst 100. His point total may not have improved, but his discipline has. Unlike last year, Wednesday's blunder was a blip on the radar, not part of a pattern of behavior. Speaking of patterns, there's been one among Malkin's linemates this season: they're not blowing anybody's skirt up with their own numbers either.
I certainly don't contend that Crosby's regular partners, Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis, are the second coming of Jaromir Jagr and Kevin Stevens. However, Kunitz and Dupuis are players who fit with Crosby's style; they are skill players with grit. Two of Malkin's most commonly used linemates, Matt Cooke and Arron Asham, are the exact opposite: gritty players with some skill. Great players need capable players beside them in order to be great, and Cooke and Asham, even next to a player of Geno's caliber, don't have the offensive potential of your typical second-line forwards.
No one seems to know when Jordan Staal will return, but it'll make Malkin's--and Dan Bylsma's--life a lot easier when he does. Allowing the dynamic duo of Sid and Geno to skate together is a novel in-game strategy, though over the long haul, it spreads the Penguins too thin. Historically, behind Sid, Malkin has had the most consistent chemistry with Staal. Other than Crosby, no player other than Staal has the combined scoring ability and physical tools to jump-start a player like Malkin. Put those two together, and it'll be like adding water to a Chia Pet. Geno's numbers will grow as such when those two are healthy and paired together.
Fans need to have faith in Evgeni Malkin and look to his last two games as a sample of his importance to the Pittsburgh Penguins, today, tomorrow, and into the foreseeable future. As long as he is surrounded with legitimate talent, and as long as he avoids another serious bite by the injury bug, that faith will be rewarded.
For more of the latest news and views on the Penguins, be sure to tune into The Penalty Box with Tom Grimm Saturday mornings on SportsRadio 93.7 The Fan, and be sure to check out the next installment of the "Puck Talk with Popchock" video blog, coming soon to 937thefan.com!
