Evgeni Malkin, next to Sidney Crosby, has been the best show on ice in Pittsburgh. His physical strength in addition to his strong hockey instincts showcases why he was such a highly praised prospect out of Russia. For a large chunk of the season, while Crosby was struggling, Malkin was Pittsburgh’s captain.
Up until his injury this past Friday against Columbus, Malkin has scored 26 goals and 31 assists, a total of 57 points, which will be very difficult to substitute. Remember, he was also out for ten games not too long ago that
However, this is not the first time Pittsburgh has lost one of their bigger stars leading up to the playoffs and have managed to still squeak in and compete for the Stanley Cup. Will this year be any different?
I happen to believe this year won’t be any different. Frankly, if Crosby were to be the injured player, I’d have reservations on whether Pittsburgh could make the playoffs. This is not because I think Malkin doesn’t make a big difference, just that Crosby makes the biggest difference.
For example, this season was just about lost before coach Mike Sullivan brought the Penguins back to life. Coincidentally, Crosby’s play moved him from being in the 100s in scoring to sixth in the league, where he sits as of this day.
But, not to far down that list, at 18, Malkin sits and will continue to drop because of his wrist injury.
This is not to say this injury is a major blow to the team, it is, but out of all of this, there is a silver lining. The Penguins, luckily, have been blessed this year with young and contributing players who started the season in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
Now, none of these players will even compare to the production of Malkin, it would take a very special group to do so, however, Pittsburgh has dealt with this issue many times this season. Players go down and players, from their AHL affiliate, come up and do not look intimidated. But, there is one foreseeable issue that could haunt the Penguins for the duration of the injury.
When the six foot three center was injured in early February the team went 5-4-1. The absence of Malkin had a clear impact on the team. The offense did not look to be to be on the same page and the power play was completely flat. All-time Pittsburgh’s record with an ailing Malkin is 70-45-9.
The thought of the offense imploding is scary and bothersome to fans, but this thought has no place for existence. This will be the prime moment in which we see Phil Kessel rise up and begin to play like the star we all expected him to become when he arrived in Pittsburgh.
Thus far, Kessel has underwhelmed with his play this season. The winger is currently 16 points away from reaching last year’s total of 61 points and there are only 14 games left. Although improbable of matching that number, Kessel has a chance of being the major piece that can determine whether the Penguins will either be playing in or watching the playoffs.
“We’re at a particular juncture in our season where every game is critically important,” Sullivan said following the news of Malkin’s injury.
Sullivan continued, “It’s not the responsibility of any one guy. It’s a collective effort from our whole group. We’re going to need everybody in our lineup to bring their best each and every game, and Phil’s one of those guys.”
Malkin’s injury comes at a very complicated time in the season for the Penguins. With playoff hopes hanging in the balance in almost every game, Pittsburgh needs their stars to shine. The young talent of Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust, Matt Cullen, and Scott Wilson will not match the numbers Malkin put up, but they have already proved to be a difference maker in many games this season.
If Pittsburgh does make the playoffs, Malkin would be set to return, at the very earliest, in the first round. If the Penguins are able to have him back on the ice, they could be a very scary team with a fully refreshed Geno in playoff mode.
