Watched Malkin vs Dynamo (Scouting Report)

[Bowser]

Wow.

I don't know what to say, other than wow. Evgeni Malkin is a man among boys in the RSL. Metallurg Head Coach Dave King puts Malkin out on the ice a ton. He's skating even-strength, #1 power-play AND #1 penalty-killing unit.

That's right, Malkin leads the team on the PK and it was almost like he was showing off in this game to me. Not that he knew or anything but wow. About 7:55 into the third period, Malkin is on the PK, he's located about about 15 feet from right point defensemen who tries to rush a pass by him. Malkin picks the pass off and just turns on the after burner and then watch the body movements, how he shifts into gear. How he sets up the goaltender on the breakaway. Then the quick hands to bury his shot.

This kid is scary unreal.

He's huge, he's quick, and he's a leader. He won faceoffs, he was always back on defense, made crisp passes, and how he saw/plays the game was a treat to watch. He didn't have one bad shift. The puck was like a magnet to his stick and he was always winning the shift playing smart hockey on defense or exposing a weak defensemen on offense.

I've never seen a player at his age, so refined in every aspect of the game. I must admit, when he was compared to Lemieux in some reports and articles, I had to laugh. After watching the tape between Metallurg and Dynamo, I clearly understand why Malkin was 1A for the draft.

Oh yeah, on the power-play. Malkin was all over the ice. He was up high on the point, rotated down low, move to behind the net, in front of the net, in the slot, floats to the circles, etc. You know, who he reminded me of.... Jaromir Jagr. He refused to stand still, thus giving a dman a chance to catch him and lay a hand on him. By moving around as he did, he was constantly in position to take a one timer or pounce on a rebound. It also enabled him to cover on the point if the D pinched or the puck was misplayed out of the zone.

I wasn't going to say this but I will... if Evgeni Malkin plays in the NHL next season and has one legit NHL scorer on his wing, he's going to break Lemieux's team rookie points record.

Note: At some point Saturday, Elliot will be hosting the Malkin goal and I'll post the link in this thread.

[Rohit]

did you also notice exactly how mario-esque the breakaway goal was?

i mean, he is so big but so fluid, that it looks like he is moving in slow motion and that he isnt even trying.

i guarantee you crosby tries to make that same move and it looks way harder and way flashier, but the way malkin pulled it off. such finesse, it didnt even look that spectacular.

thats when you know you have a star, a kid who makes the most fantastic moves look mundane

[Ron`]

Good to hear eric, haven't seen much of him except in WJCs. Thanks for the report.

[elliot]

on rapidshare:
http://rapidshare.de/files/12513028/Mal ... 6.wmv.html

on yousendit:
http://s65.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1AT9 ... ICXLM3NMT7

and u can get the complete game here:
http://www.letsgopens.com/scripts/phpBB ... .php?t=303

[Jesse]

I'm not afraid to say it.

Malkin is one of the smartest hockey players I've ever seen.

Take everything Crosby can do and add weight and physicality to it.

[topshelf]

Damn that was a nice goal. Hopefully we will be seeing some of that next year.

[NYPensFan]

Sounds like Malkin plays a style like Crosby - all over the ice. If the young wingers on the team learn to anticiipate Crosby's moves they will be able to play on Malkin's line also. That might be a big advantage.

[Mad City Mike]

Looks like we need to clear out some dead wood to make room for him :

[Bowser]

MCM - If Malkin is not playing in the NHL next season for the Pittsburgh Penguins, it will be a HUGE mistake. He's light years better than Crosby on defense and taking faceoffs.

He's the EXACT type of center this team needed this season. I can't say enough, how impressive his skills were without the puck.

He's Jagr with his skating speed change-ups, he's Ron Francis at center taking his responsibility to play defense and win draws, and his overall package with the size and reach reminds me of Lemieux.

Just a SCARY package of a man.

[netwolf]

I liked the "round the bases" celebration he did with his right hand after scoring. You see it on the last slow motion replay as he first starts heading up the boards to his bench. Of course, if Ovechkin did that, he'd get blasted for being cocky.

I am very much looking forward to seeing what he can do agains the best in the world at the Olympics. Does any one have any ideas who he might be playing with?

[Tico Rick]

Thanks for the update on Malkin. The times I've seen Ovechkin this year, he reminds me more of Mario than any other player I've ever seen. From what you've seen of both, how would you compare Malkin to Ovechkin? I ask because I really see Ovechkin heads and shoulders above Crosby this year (not that it will continue that way throughout their careers - there is a HUGH difference between an 18-year-old and a 20-year-old, IMO). Thanks in advance for your thoughts, Eric!

[Bowser]

Tico - Good question, I just wrote about it in at hockeybuzz.com - hopefully Eklund posts the blog soon. Malkin is better than Ovechkin AND Crosby. He's a better defensive player, he's better on faceoffs, he changes speeds like Jagr, a much better shot than Crosby, uses his teammates extremely well to take advantage of his own skills, and most importantly, he's a leader.

You don't get the ice time at even-strength, power-play and penalty-kill just being a name player, he earns it by playing with such a calm dominating effort.

Crosby is a playmaker, Malkin is a two-way force. He's Joe Sakic, Ron Francis, Jaromir Jagr, and even some Mario Lemieux. I know it sounds ridiculous but this kid has it all.

[DelPen]

Scary to think that we could have a team like Colorado had when they had Sakic, Forsberg, Roy, Blake and Foote where we have Malkin, Crosby, Fleury, Whitney and Orpik. I'm not saying they will be as good as those Avs players but it will be nice to have to very good players at vital positions.

[puckeye]

Scary to think that we could have a team like Colorado had when they had Sakic, Forsberg, Roy, Blake and Foote where we have Malkin, Crosby, Fleury, Whitney and Orpik. I'm not saying they will be as good as those Avs players but it will be nice to have to very good players at vital positions.

Not a bad comparison if all meet their potential and still in the 'burgh

[elliot]

Does any one have any ideas who he might be playing with?

Hey net, Malkin centered Sushinsky and Kharitonov (both of Dynamo) in the ROSNO cup, and i expect the same for the olympics. They seem to be the only non-NHL forwards on the team; the only other non-NHL player is Dman Dmitriy Bykov, also of Dynamo.

[Pipes Hochuli]

agreed, whitney and orpik need to prove a little more to me but still potential

[Pens4Life]

He is a scary big creative player with a smart head.
He will bring us soo much we can even imagine next year.
My prediction (with good scorer on line) ;
80 gp - 40 g + 70 a = 110 pts rookie
He is great on faceoff,defensivly,psyhical,smart,quick...

[wondermoose]

Can someone tell me where all the highlights are, like at 5:36 of the first Malkin breaks a couple ankles, etc etc? I don't have time to watch most pens game, much less this one.

[Bowser]

I didn't write down any times but pretty much the whole game by Malkin is a demonstration on why he's a great talent. He was flying around the ice at even, pk, and pp.

[Pipes Hochuli]

what program is used to watch those .torrent file games? thanks

[Bowser]

I used VLC Media Player to watch the video and uTorrent to download.


... I don't have a link, sorry.

[wondermoose]

http://azureus.sourceforge.net/

Torrents are files that connect you through a P2P network. You download pieces of the file you want while sharing the pieces you already have. It's great for big files.

Download that, install it, then download the torrent files above and run them (Should open with Azureus by default).

[Pipes Hochuli]

thanks!

[elliot]

if you have no clue what a torrent is, i strongly recommend you NOT to get Azureus. It is for hardcore power users. I suggest getting uTorrent instead, which is much easier for users who're new to this.
http://www.utorrent.com/download.php

btw, you dont watch the .torrent files themselves. u run the .torrent files in uTorrent to download the game, which is in avi files. Then you'll need VLC media player to watch the avi files
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

[DrBoni]

His speed on that breakaway is incredible!

I agree with the Mario-esque comments, especially on this clip. Powerful strides, gain speed then coast in and make your move. Beautiful goal.

Check out that curve on his stick after he rounds the bench. Is that a hockey stick or a candy cane?

Nice to see a #71 with some hands.