Malkin on Pace for 19 Goals

[RxBandit66]

I'd relax a little though. Geno missed 7 games, and until Crosby scored 11 points in 3 games, he was having the same type of numbers.

Geno could easily go on a very hot streak. Let the season play out.

True....although Sid's goal numbers have been good all year. The troubling thing for me is the fact that Geno's goal output, beginning with the 2008 playoffs (except for a few hot stretches last season), has not returned to what it was two years ago.

After the 2008 season, I thought Geno would turn into a 50-60-goal machine like Jagr, Kovalchuk or Gabby. Call me selfish as a fan, but this season has been a letdown. I was looking forward to him developing into more of a dominant force. But hey, I grew up watching Bure, Mogilny, Lemieux, Hull, Shanahan, Selanne, Jagr. Perhaps the expectations were high, but I think Geno is better than all of those players except for two. The numbers right now don't support that however.

[Burnaby_Joe]

Malkin is killing the 1st powerplay unit. He had countless turnovers on the powerplay last night and it has been that way all year. He either gives the puck directly to the other team, makes a blind pass no where near anyone, or fires it back to the point without even looking and sure enough...the defenseman is not there. He screws up the entry a lot too when he tries to go through 4 guys by himself and losing the puck when everyone else looks like they're expecting him to dump it in. Maybe splitting up Sid and Geno on the powerplay will get Geno to shoot more and improve both units.

Hmmmmmm........looking at GvA/TkA stats for this season, Geno is almost even (one more takeaway than giveaway), and then looking at Sid's, he's 35 GvA and 14 TkA.

[SolidSnake]

Rx has the guts to start a topic like this. lol

In Rx's defense, everytime he starts a thread like this calling out a player, they go on a hot streak.

I say keep em coming.

Well that's good too. I agree lol

[Gaucho]

The numbers right now don't support that however.

They don't?
http://www.letsgopens.com/scripts/phpBB3/posting.php?mode=quote&f=1&p=1104268

[shmenguin]

so when are people going to get off of Sid's back about him having an "off" year when it is so plainly obvious that Sid is the most dominant athlete in hockey?

ummm...is anyone still on sid's back? that ship sailed once he started playing well. and are you really taking offense that people were questioning the quality of sid's play early on, when in fact, he wasn't playing close to his potential?

it's becoming evident that both guys are slow starters. health issues have also become a problem for both. so it's pretty pointless to call either of them out when they just showed that they are champions and that they both have been battling nagging injuries throughout most of the season. the people who were jumping to conclusions a few weeks ago about malkin being better are just as bad as people now saying that sid is better and using malkin's short-term stats as support.

this season hasn't proven squat about either guy. all we know is that they are both phenomenal and capable of being the best.

[Gaucho]

The numbers right now don't support that however.

They don't?
http://www.letsgopens.com/scripts/phpBB3/posting.php?mode=quote&f=1&p=1104268

Oops:
http://www.fromtherink.com/2009/3/20/804569/career-points-per-game-lea

[littlemoonboot]

I wanted to mention something after the game but decided to wait... but since it's been brought up, it does seem something's up with Geno and he doesn't seem as dominant on the ice so far this year. I figure health permitting, he'll be fine but it seems like he hasn't had one of those "OMG" dominant games this year.

I hope that his shoulder isn't still bothering him or more serious than previously thought. I would think they would have given him an MRI and cleared it up.

"he's not even the best player on his team..."

Just so I'm not attacked, I said this in jest.

and I lol'd.

[SolidSnake]

Steigy made it a point to emphasize how Mike Rupp is second on the Pens team in goals with 9. Typically I dislike Steigy, but he indirectly called out some guys who are not putting the puck in the net.

Mike Rupp should not have the same number of goals that Geno and Kris Letang have combined.

Geno is on pace for less than half of the 47 goals he put up two seasons ago....so when are people going to get off of Sid's back about him having an "off" year when it is so plainly obvious that Sid is the most dominant athlete in hockey? No single player in any sport excels in every facet of the game like Sid does.

Some have made the argument that Malkin is the team's best player. He is not. He's the second best player on the team. Perhaps putting Mike Rupp on the second line will ignite Geno's goal-scoring spark (even though it should be the other way around).....who ever thought we'd be saying that? It is very clear now that certain Penguins players spent the summer working very hard (like Dupuis) and others appear to have taken the whole summer off.

I agree with this and couldn't of said it any betters. I think if Caps fans seen this they'd go nuts lol

[bhaw]

Pace means nothing with guys like Malkin who can go on a month long streak where his "pace" is 200 goals per season. Guys like TK and Dupuis can be used in the "pace" argument because they score at a consistent rate.

[Corvidae]

Could he call me out so I can go on a hot streak?

You're certainly due.

Spoiler:

:scared:

[K2]

I believe that Malkin is hurt. When was the last time he attempted a slap shot? He's passed up way too many in the last few games. He's playing physical, skating and passing well, but his cannon is on the shelf right now.

I fear this is the case too.

[ron_duguays_hair]

Geno played horrible last night.

It is alarming he's not shooting the puck.

[kovyfalcon27]

Malkin is killing the 1st powerplay unit. He had countless turnovers on the powerplay last night and it has been that way all year. He either gives the puck directly to the other team, makes a blind pass no where near anyone, or fires it back to the point without even looking and sure enough...the defenseman is not there. He screws up the entry a lot too when he tries to go through 4 guys by himself and losing the puck when everyone else looks like they're expecting him to dump it in. Maybe splitting up Sid and Geno on the powerplay will get Geno to shoot more and improve both units.

Hmmmmmm........looking at GvA/TkA stats for this season, Geno is almost even (one more takeaway than giveaway), and then looking at Sid's, he's 35 GvA and 14 TkA.

No doubt that Malkin is a dominate defensive center and gets a lot of takeaways....I've just seen him giving the puck away a lot while we're up a man...I'd like to see how many of his giveaways have come with the man advantage. That being said I still think the way to get Malkin shooting more is to put him with players other than Sid and Gonch on the powerplay....he always seems to defer to those two for some reason even when he is in a really good spot to shoot.

[tfrizz]

No doubt that Malkin is a dominate defensive center and gets a lot of takeaways....I've just seen him giving the puck away a lot while we're up a man...I'd like to see how many of his giveaways have come with the man advantage. That being said I still think the way to get Malkin shooting more is to put him with players other than Sid and Gonch on the powerplay....he always seems to defer to those two for some reason even when he is in a really good spot to shoot.

It's almost like he sees how Crosby is taking over games as of late, and is hesitant to get in his way... as opposed to taking over, in a sense, as well.

[westside]

Malkin is killing the 1st powerplay unit. He had countless turnovers on the powerplay last night and it has been that way all year. He either gives the puck directly to the other team, makes a blind pass no where near anyone, or fires it back to the point without even looking and sure enough...the defenseman is not there. He screws up the entry a lot too when he tries to go through 4 guys by himself and losing the puck when everyone else looks like they're expecting him to dump it in. Maybe splitting up Sid and Geno on the powerplay will get Geno to shoot more and improve both units.

HAHHAAHAHHAHAAHAH.... WOW.... just WOW.

[farnham16]

Conn Smythe.

[kovyfalcon27]

Malkin is killing the 1st powerplay unit. He had countless turnovers on the powerplay last night and it has been that way all year. He either gives the puck directly to the other team, makes a blind pass no where near anyone, or fires it back to the point without even looking and sure enough...the defenseman is not there. He screws up the entry a lot too when he tries to go through 4 guys by himself and losing the puck when everyone else looks like they're expecting him to dump it in. Maybe splitting up Sid and Geno on the powerplay will get Geno to shoot more and improve both units.

HAHHAAHAHHAHAAHAH.... WOW.... just WOW.

See this is why I joined this board almost 3 years ago but never post...because if you say anything negative about the Pens whether warranted or not there is always some one there to ridicule you and laugh at you. Maybe Malkin isn't KILLING the powerplay....but what exactly is he doing to help it??? Passing the puck to Sid or Gonch everytime he touches it from 3 feet away? Or by not shooting at all to the point where the other team just takes away his passing lanes but he still forces a pass anyway?? I would say the same thing about any other player if they were doing it....it just so happens the player is Malkin this time.

[stefanh]

Malkin is killing the 1st powerplay unit. He had countless turnovers on the powerplay last night and it has been that way all year. He either gives the puck directly to the other team, makes a blind pass no where near anyone, or fires it back to the point without even looking and sure enough...the defenseman is not there. He screws up the entry a lot too when he tries to go through 4 guys by himself and losing the puck when everyone else looks like they're expecting him to dump it in. Maybe splitting up Sid and Geno on the powerplay will get Geno to shoot more and improve both units.

HAHHAAHAHHAHAAHAH.... WOW.... just WOW.

See this is why I joined this board almost 3 years ago but never post...because if you say anything negative about the Pens whether warranted or not there is always some one there to ridicule you and laugh at you. Maybe Malkin isn't KILLING the powerplay....but what exactly is he doing to help it??? Passing the puck to Sid or Gonch everytime he touches it from 3 feet away? Or by not shooting at all to the point where the other team just takes away his passing lanes but he still forces a pass anyway?? I would say the same thing about any other player if they were doing it....it just so happens the player is Malkin this time.

The thing is that everyone does it so why single one player out?

[Mtl-PenFan]

Geno tends to loaf sometimes when things don't go well. The biggest indication is when he starts taking penalties.

As per usual, he'll snap out of it and start dominating again.

[westside]

Hey, I understand that Malkin is not playing great right now. It's a message board and you're free to post what ever you think, and I'm free not to agree... at all. I laugh the same way when someone goes after Sid because this "what have you done for me lately" mentality is hilarious to me. Malkin is one of the best players in the world. A few so-so weeks (after coming back from injury no less) IMO is no reason for concern. So talk about moving him off the 1st PP because "he screws up the entry a lot" and "makes blind passes no where near anyone" is just insane to me. Why? Because when he gets his mojo back and starts connecting on those passes and splitting defenders like warm butter and burying the puck everyone will jump right back on and if Crosby happens to not be putting up points at the time the 'blame' pendulum will swing back to him. Do I think Malkin needs to play better, sure, do I think you change anything about his playing time or spot on the PP.... no way. Our PP needs all the help it can get, and just because Geno is not filling the net right now, why would you take one of the best scorers on the team (and defending points leader) off that? We saw what the 1st unit looked like when he was gone... kind of like it does now, so how is Malkin to blame?

So sorry if I did not explain my HAHAHAAHAHA... I hope it's better explained now.

[Henry Hank]

This thread is a joke just like the similar one somebody made about Crosby last year. Number one, Malkin isn't on pace for 19 goals. Technically, he's on pace for 21 in 63 games, but that's assuming he misses more games. If he doesn't miss anymore, he's on pace for 26 goals in 74 games. He's on a 29 goal pace for 82 games, which isn't that far off from the 35 he had last year... when he won the Art Ross, and oh, by the way, the Conn Smythe in leading the Pens to the Cup. But who cares? We're 31 games into the season. If Malkin has a hat trick on Thursday, suddenly he's on a 38 goal pace for 82 games, which would be the second highest goals per game of his career. Can we stop judging everybody, good or bad, in the moment? Does it always have to be what have you done for me lately? I thought Geno was excellent on Saturday but barely had an assist to show for it.



When will Pens fans just appreciate the fact that they get to watch Crosby and Malkin on their team and not spend every waking moment trying to find something to critique? We're lucky enough to have both of these guys on our team, and this is coming after we were lucky enough to have Lemieux and Jagr. For 25 years now, Pens fans have been lucky enough to watch a player who is considered to be one of the very best, if not the best, in the game. Sometimes, they've had two of these guys at once. Some franchises haven't had one such player in their existence. It's terrible how spoiled rotten some are.

[Mongoose87]

I don't think he's injured - his slapshot essentially put us into OT with Chicago. There's something in his head. He's got that same thing Sid gets where he's trying to set up goals too much. he just needs to settle down, be a little more selfish.

[farnham16]

This thread is a joke just like the similar one somebody made about Crosby last year. Number one, Malkin isn't on pace for 19 goals. Technically, he's on pace for 21 in 63 games, but that's assuming he misses more games. If he doesn't miss anymore, he's on pace for 26 goals in 74 games. He's on a 29 goal pace for 82 games, which isn't that far off from the 35 he had last year... when he won the Art Ross, and oh, by the way, the Conn Smythe in leading the Pens to the Cup. But who cares? We're 31 games into the season. If Malkin has a hat trick on Thursday, suddenly he's on a 38 goal pace for 82 games, which would be the second highest goals per game of his career. Can we stop judging everybody, good or bad, in the moment? Does it always have to be what have you done for me lately? I thought Geno was excellent on Saturday but barely had an assist to show for it.



When will Pens fans just appreciate the fact that they get to watch Crosby and Malkin on their team and not spend every waking moment trying to find something to critique? We're lucky enough to have both of these guys on our team, and this is coming after we were lucky enough to have Lemieux and Jagr. For 25 years now, Pens fans have been lucky enough to watch a player who is considered to be one of the very best, if not the best, in the game. Sometimes, they've had two of these guys at once. Some franchises haven't had one such player in their existence. It's terrible how spoiled rotten some are.

Yep. If you actually watched the game against Chicago saturday you would have seen Malkin was the best player on the ice. He was setting up teammates all game. Not his fault when his teammates don't finish.

How anyone could question this guy is beyond me. What he has accomplished in his short career is simply amazing. He's been banged up and his linemates haven't been getting the job done so far. He'll be at or close to 100 points at season's end.

[newarenanow]

This thread is a joke just like the similar one somebody made about Crosby last year. Number one, Malkin isn't on pace for 19 goals. Technically, he's on pace for 21 in 63 games, but that's assuming he misses more games. If he doesn't miss anymore, he's on pace for 26 goals in 74 games. He's on a 29 goal pace for 82 games, which isn't that far off from the 35 he had last year... when he won the Art Ross, and oh, by the way, the Conn Smythe in leading the Pens to the Cup. But who cares? We're 31 games into the season. If Malkin has a hat trick on Thursday, suddenly he's on a 38 goal pace for 82 games, which would be the second highest goals per game of his career. Can we stop judging everybody, good or bad, in the moment? Does it always have to be what have you done for me lately? I thought Geno was excellent on Saturday but barely had an assist to show for it.



When will Pens fans just appreciate the fact that they get to watch Crosby and Malkin on their team and not spend every waking moment trying to find something to critique? We're lucky enough to have both of these guys on our team, and this is coming after we were lucky enough to have Lemieux and Jagr. For 25 years now, Pens fans have been lucky enough to watch a player who is considered to be one of the very best, if not the best, in the game. Sometimes, they've had two of these guys at once. Some franchises haven't had one such player in their existence. It's terrible how spoiled rotten some are.

You nailed it. I appreciate the fact that we have these guys on the Pens. And I also realize that you have to look at the season as a whole, not just specific points in time.

If Geno had 70 pts last year and like 70 the year before and was being paid $8.7MM a year, then I'd question and critique. But if the guy is not putting up 50, 60, 70 goals year in and year out, but is still productive and leading this team to championships, I'll be happy as hell.

Like you said, I just think people are spoiled or have unrealistic expectations. it's not playstation.

[thepittman]

This thread is a joke just like the similar one somebody made about Crosby last year. Number one, Malkin isn't on pace for 19 goals. Technically, he's on pace for 21 in 63 games, but that's assuming he misses more games. If he doesn't miss anymore, he's on pace for 26 goals in 74 games. He's on a 29 goal pace for 82 games, which isn't that far off from the 35 he had last year... when he won the Art Ross, and oh, by the way, the Conn Smythe in leading the Pens to the Cup. But who cares? We're 31 games into the season. If Malkin has a hat trick on Thursday, suddenly he's on a 38 goal pace for 82 games, which would be the second highest goals per game of his career. Can we stop judging everybody, good or bad, in the moment? Does it always have to be what have you done for me lately? I thought Geno was excellent on Saturday but barely had an assist to show for it.



When will Pens fans just appreciate the fact that they get to watch Crosby and Malkin on their team and not spend every waking moment trying to find something to critique? We're lucky enough to have both of these guys on our team, and this is coming after we were lucky enough to have Lemieux and Jagr. For 25 years now, Pens fans have been lucky enough to watch a player who is considered to be one of the very best, if not the best, in the game. Sometimes, they've had two of these guys at once. Some franchises haven't had one such player in their existence. It's terrible how spoiled rotten some are.

Whats else are we supposed to do while we're at work?