Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

A motivated Evgeni Malkin is a scary, MVP-threat Evgeni Malkin

Detroit Red Wings v Pittsburgh Penguins

PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 21: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his second period goal against the Detroit Red Wings during a preseason game at Consol Energy Center on September 21, 2011 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Getty Images

What we’ve seen out of Evgeni Malkin the past two seasons has been, well, underwhelming. The past two seasons, with some help from an ailing knee, he’s scored 114 points in 110 games. Three seasons ago, Malkin put up 113 alone in the 2008-2009 Stanley Cup-winning season.

We know Malkin is a dominating force on the ice but the nagging knee stuff made us forget just how good he is capable of being. Thanks to Rob Rossi of The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review we find out that the monstrous play we’ve seen out of Malkin in the preseason is very likely going to continue on into the regular season thanks to Malkin finding his motivation to win the Stanley Cup again.

He senses that Penguins teammate and fans are calling for this, his sixth season, to be a ″comeback year.″

This is no comeback, though.

″I hope people understand this is (a) new me,″ Malkin said. ″I’ve changed my workouts because maybe I was lazy before. Maybe I just played hockey, and that (was) good enough, but (there) is more for me to do.

″My motivation now is very good.″


While the Penguins aren’t sure when Sidney Crosby is going to rejoin the team on the ice, a rejuvenated Malkin could make his absence a moot point for the time being. When Malkin is healthy he’s a dynamic scorer with top five talent. Remember, when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009 it was Malkin, not Crosby or Marc-Andre Fleury, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs. While opponents loaded up against Crosby to stop him, Malkin took advantage of secondary defenders being unable to keep up with him.

If Malkin can do the kind of work he’s done in the preseason against opponents that have made the cut and stuck in the NHL, expect to see him make a run to the top of everyone’s list as a Hart Trophy candidate.