Slumps are brutal. However, slumps are a common thing in the professional workplace of the NHL. Every player at every level goes through a slump, there’s just no easy way to get out of it. Evgeni Malkin is no different. The only difference is that fans expect great players to always be great. When these types of streaks involve some of the best players in the league, they tend to get a lot of unwarranted attention. And unwarranted attention is exactly what it is.
As we know, Malkin has not found the back of the net in his last 13 games. For Malkin, it is the longest goal scoring drought of his NHL career. Twenty games into the season, Malkin has three goals and 17 assists, as his 17 assists ranks him fourth in the league, and tied for 18th in total points. However, Malkin is only two goals behind his expected goal output at this point of the season based on his history. Furthermore, Malkin is not known for blistering shots at the net six or seven times a game. Malkin, like Crosby, is the center, whose main goal is to set up his wingers with quality chances, which is why Malkin ranks fourth in assists with 17.
The other major factor is without question the revolving door on the Pens’ second line that Malkin has had to endure this season. James Neal and Beau Bennett both have been injured with Neal just returning as of late from a lengthy injury he allegedly sustained in a whiffle ball game during a Penguins practice. The Penguins have tried combinations of Jokinen, who in his defense has played well, Chuck Kobasew, Jayson Megna and the newest addition, Brian Gibbons.
For Malkin, this is the fifth time in his career he’s gone seven or more games without a goal. To the casual fan that only cheers when this team wins and boos even louder when this team loses, that might seem like a lot, but it’s not. It’s actually a normal trend in the NHL to go through a slump as it is in every sport. Steven Stamkos, Jeff Carter, Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla and Corey Perry are players that have ranked at the top of goals scored over the last five years. All of these players have gone through serious slumps in their careers as well. Stamkos’ longest slump is 13 games, Carter’s longest slump is 15 games, Perry has a 13 game slump, Iginla’s longest slump is 14 games and last but not least, Crosby carries a 12-game streak without a goal. Let’s also not forget Claude Giroux’s 21-game goal absence this year or last year when highly skilled, Anze Kopitar scored one goal over 26 games.
It’s Nov. and only 21 games into the season. The Penguins as a whole have looked good, and the main concern for this team going into this season was in net, not the pucks going into it. Now, I can understand if this was April with the playoffs right around the corner and Malkin was struggling, it’s not. Slumps happen in every sport and hockey is no different. During the 2009-10 season, Malkin endured an 11-game goal drought. The next 11 games, he scored eight. Slumps are brutal, but slumps happen in every sport.
