PENS NEED BETTER FROM GENO

PENS NEED BETTER FROM GENO

12:30am - Monday, February 15th, 2010 by Mark Madden

Here’s a question that may anger Evgeni Malkin fans: Has there ever been a more useless 13-game points streak than the one Malkin has going?

Malkin has eight goals and 14 assists over that span, but he’s minus-7 with six minus games. Plus/minus can be very deceiving, true, but the Penguins are just 6-7 in those 13 games. THAT doesn’t deceive.

There are spurts when Malkin just refuses to pass. His backchecking has been lax. He commits penalties of petulance far too often. Witness Sunday’s 4-3 shootout loss to Nashville: Malkin idiotically took four minutes for roughing at the close of the first period, gifting the Predators a power-play goal. His stupid interference penalty late in the third period nearly cost the Penguins the loser point they ultimately got. Malkin has been selfish and childish

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Comments

PetariFX

We could trade him for R.J. Umberger and a #2?

02/15/2010 12:46am

Monrovian12

Great article Mark. NBC sucks...The olympics are 3 days old and I'm already sick of them, and I don't like NHL players playing in the games. I don't know if the NHL thinks it helps their cause, but it most certainly doesn't

02/15/2010 12:47am

laufer72

Pffft..........please. There's only one Valeri Kharlamov, I hope you are joking comparing anyone to him.

02/15/2010 2:49am

jconley77

i wonder how many of those minuses come with playing on a line with fedotenko.

02/15/2010 3:30am

deakka

I wouldnt pass the puck either if i played with feds. am i the only one seeing the fact he drags Malkin down with him? The times when Malkin plays with Staal i see him pass the puck because he knows hell get it back. If he pass it to feds, feds will lose it and the other team will get possesion.

02/15/2010 4:07am

jbpitt11

The penalties are becoming bad but I'll still take Geno in the clutch...the dude is a winner. And I still have nightmares of Kovalev on the point of the powerplay.

02/15/2010 4:44am

coachhank

Yea blame Gino when half of our team has been sucking..He still has more points than anyone on most teams.Mark cut him a break.

02/15/2010 5:18am

Genomalkin

Now MM is on the anti-Malkin bandwagon...say it aint so..

02/15/2010 6:07am

nateca44

The guy has absolutely nobody playing with him, but im sure mark you would be able to put up excellent numbers playing with him, after all you are the " super Genius". Im willing to bet you could turn water into wine!

02/15/2010 6:45am

wmalonijr

pascal dupuis cannot be the winger on that line. He is not a winner and not a goal scorer. He's a great third line winger and can skate like the wind but someone with more talent and hands and offensive ability needs to be on that wing with Staal and Malkin.

02/15/2010 8:47am

Jeff2266

Earlier in the year he wasnt shooting enough now hes not passing enough, i know hes not playing great but people dont even know why there upset anymore

02/15/2010 8:57am

Strike

A lot of those games Malkin had Staal on his line. Malkin's point streak is deceptive to how he has not played a solid 60 minutes in many games. I always worry about a team that says they are not playing as well as they can and should: and continues to flounder

02/15/2010 8:58am

wmalonijr

The marquee olympic hockey game will be russia-canada. Canada-USA will certainly be a big draw but I'm more excited for canada-russia.

02/15/2010 8:59am

dirtmccurt

You guys aren't getting ridiculous. I like Geno just as much as anyone but you grant him this untouchable status. He's paid just as much as Crosby and wears a letter but his effort has even been close to Crosby's. Malkin won an art ross and a conn smythe last year playing with feds and talbot, so why are we bitching about his linemates this year.

02/15/2010 9:01am

wmalonijr

The title of this article should be "GENO NEEDS BETTER FROM THE PENS." Get dupuis on the third line and either johnson or kennedy on Staal-Malkin line.

02/15/2010 9:01am

dirtmccurt

*has not even been close to Crosby's

02/15/2010 9:01am

djmr66

I like Bylsma and have no way of knowing how he is in the locker room but from what I see on the bench he seems rather laid back. I wonder how much this guy is trying to be the "good" players coach and not the "bad" badass he probably needs to be at times. This team has been madingly inconsistent all year and they probably need a few more boots up their butts than they get...

02/15/2010 9:07am

Marettcr

The penalties he's been taking are just inexcusable in my opinion

02/15/2010 9:11am

TITLETOWN

i agree about the NBC and the olmpics - as for Geno, i will judge him come April-May-June

02/15/2010 9:39am

Marettcr

02/15/2010 9:39am

rumrum68

I hate to say this, but come on folks. You think the Pens don't understand the difference between the regular season and post season after the past 2 years? If he does that crap in the 'extra' season, then I'll start being critical. But until then....

02/15/2010 10:10am

tkoui73

Typical hair-pulling article from the Jay Mariotti of Pittsburgh media.

02/15/2010 10:15am

burghcity19

I agree the penalties have put the pens in slot of bad situation and that all him maybe it could have alot to do with the wingers he playing with not playing defense as well as not playing good numbers. Malkin in my opinion need shoot more and do what Crosby doing it not like Crosby had best wingers around him all year due to injuries. Who knows if malkin save up for the olmpics or not but all I know is I agree with MM because if you guys are reading what mark is saying we do need him to stop taking dumb penalties and play better overall game and not just playing all offense malkin would be so sick if he had better defense game to his already amazing skills he haves now

02/15/2010 10:23am

hockeytim

I have to agree with MM, as much as i like Geno. He enjoys the superstar status and his lapses, especially his defensive zone coverage, are overlooked. He doesn't have to deal with the added pressure of the media. Unlike Sid, after a bad game he doen't have to deal with the media in his face answering the hard questions. Yesterday Bylsma was clearly unhappy with the penalties, but I wonder if he was one of the offending players called out by the coaching staff.

02/15/2010 10:26am

burghcity19

At the end of the day we need to give him a winger to play and save my opinion into after the playoffs really not that worry about malkin just worry about his line and malkin defense game

02/15/2010 10:27am

BillCitro

Can Geno's game improve? Sure. But he's not underperforming to the point where he needs to be called out for it, especially in the midst of a 13 game point streak. Here's a question that may anger Mark Madden fans: has there ever been a more useless column? This is just writing for the sake of writing SOMETHING.

02/15/2010 10:28am

i do agree with mark here, if geno played like he did last year and sid continues to play like he is now, we wouldnt have to worry about being a few points behind nj. Also, burghcity is right...malkin needs a winger capable of playing a kunitz type game to free geno up to shoot.

02/15/2010 10:37am

ryurko

Good article. Couldn't agree more.

02/15/2010 10:47am

burghcity19

I would say it a useless column it not like mark was puttung him on the bus with his offense mostly putting him in we need geno play smart hockey and play better defense trust me am not worryed at all but if shero doesn't find a way to get malkin a winger and malkin continue to play not smart hockey then there something to worry about

02/15/2010 10:48am

burghcity19

I wouldn't say

02/15/2010 10:49am

psutheo28

it is a crime that the usa canada game is not on NBC

02/15/2010 11:35am

Weimer007

I am going to wager that Malkin is tremendously frustrated and that he is not the type of player that is fueled by frustration.

02/15/2010 11:37am

deesh138

Geno gets a good linemate or two, then he will be fine. I'll bet he's just frustrated right now.

02/15/2010 12:04pm

Fox247

i agree that he needs a winger, but at the same time that doesnt give him the right to take so many dumb penalties at very bad times and he has been doing it all season not just recently its been all year

02/15/2010 12:06pm

Fox247

and to wear an A on your jersey u cant be taking the bad penalties you have to lead by example. its one thing to be frustrated but u cant take dumb penalties

02/15/2010 12:08pm

CM2005

Well...Malkin will have great wingers in the Olympics, so lets see how he performs. If he's stellar then maybe our GM and staff recognize this and get him a winger before the deadline on March 3rd.

02/15/2010 12:21pm

coachhank

some of you guys ARE freakin retarded.

02/15/2010 12:27pm

deesh138

Eh, I dunno Fox. Crosby takes some pretty moronic penalties, such as obvious slashes after he feels calls have been missed. And he's turning out pretty decent.

02/15/2010 12:28pm

PetariFX

Has anyone commented on Janne P. not making the olympics?

02/15/2010 12:29pm

Jeff2266

LOL petarifx just give him a chance he'll be great

02/15/2010 12:40pm

Gumps83

what the heck does giving him new linemates have to do with malkin taking shifts off and not playing in the defensive zone with any effort like he should. he has no heart and only plays when he wants to. they need to quit babying him and light a fire under his rear end. sid has been playing with nobody since he came into the league but his effort each and every night is second to none. GROW UP MALKIN.

02/15/2010 1:01pm

Chancebd7

Heard we are trading malkin to florida for Horton and booth and a defensemen

02/15/2010 1:09pm

Strike

I think Guerin should be called out also. He loafs and floats most of his shifts.

02/15/2010 1:47pm

orsulak

Totally agree with MM. USA Canada HAS to be on network TV or the NHL shouldn't bother disrupting their season.

02/15/2010 1:57pm

orsulak

I will be happy when the Olympics are over. I believe that they have been a distraction for the Pens. I just hope we don't get anyone hurt.

02/15/2010 1:59pm

coachhank

Mark Mark Mark Why do you always have to start shit....We all know Gino needs to play better. But at the same TOKEN so does 3/4 of the team. Counting your BOY MAF

02/15/2010 2:18pm

zerocool6687

Trade talk on Malkin because of his less then stellar play is retarded... Its amazing how some react to criticism on a top player making 8.7 mil but not doing everything he can to earn it right now. Just because some of us are willing to point out the obvious does not mean we want to trade him... that is plain STUPIDITY. We all just want him to get back to HIS game without all the BS. He has set the bar so high for himself with the tremendous play he has shown since his rookie yr... he has not been himself PLAIN AND SIMPLE. IMO it could be Olympic distraction... could just be an off yr, that being said he is still one of the games best and we are better off with him.... however he does need to get back to what made him so dominant over the past few yrs!

02/15/2010 2:51pm

Chancebd7

it was just a rumor i heard zero cool...ur mom told me

02/15/2010 3:19pm

deesh138

Gumps, saying Malkin has no heart is laughable. He's missed very few games, so he's obviously willing to play through injury. He's lead the league in scoring, he's won the Conn Smythe, he's scored 40+ goals, all the in past year. Plus, he's on a 10+ game scoring streak right now. Where do you see no heart in that?

02/15/2010 4:15pm

Gumps83

if you have to constantly tell him to step up his game he has no heart. watch the games. you cannot live in the past. HE IS LAZY!!! Do you get it!

02/15/2010 4:19pm

Gumps83

another jagr headcase too!!

02/15/2010 4:21pm

sirmarianhossa

Russians like money and Russia. He will be better after the Olympics.

02/15/2010 5:06pm

deesh138

Now he's a headcase? What has he done to be considered a headcase?

02/15/2010 5:12pm

laufer72

gumps, I really hope you are just being sarcastic.........

02/15/2010 5:18pm

BillCitro

If you think Geno is lazy you should be for cutting Guerin...dude's play has been pathetic the last month - he's not even producing anymore.

02/15/2010 6:11pm

dirtmccurt

Guerin is 40 years old, if you expected a full season out of Guerin than shame on you. As long as he performs in the playoffs, he's earned his money. Malkin is in his early 20s, there's not reason for his lack of effort

02/15/2010 6:26pm

BillCitro

And Geno is not performing? He's top 15 in league scoring and climbing. He's been playing through injury - something obvious to anyone who has played hockey. Guerin hasn't had to play through injury because he's playing far to soft to have to. I actually don't have a problem with Guerin as long as he plays harder in the playoffs (I expect him to coast) but to call Geno out for effort is laughable. I don't know how many times a game he fetches pucks in the corners that Dupuis and especially Fedotenko can't handle on PURE EFFORT.

02/15/2010 6:35pm

dirtmccurt

Where did I ever say Geno wasn't performing? I said his lack of effort is concerning. And I don't care how much he battles in the corners because its all negated when he doesn't backcheck.

02/15/2010 7:06pm