In watching the Pittsburgh Penguins face off against the Vancouver Canucks and getting decidedly trounced for their efforts, I started to wonder about Evgeni Malkin. He wasn’t much of an offensive force, despite scoring a goal, and his dangerous hit on Willie Mitchell left me thinking that something must be eating the sniper.

Sure enough, Malkin finds himself mired in a pretty significant slump. He ranks in the 20s in the scoring race and is producing at a lower rate than his rookie campaign. Malkin, before his goal against Vancouver, hadn’t scored since a pre-Christmas hat trick. A recent four-game stretch saw him go an embarrassing minus-8.

“It’s a tough situation but I’m learn now,” said Malkin to the media scrum in Vancouver without the use of a translator. “I’m learn it’s two tough years we play finals. Different situation now. Not scoring now and a little bit nervous now but it’s team game. Coaches help me and we sit and look video and my shifts. It’s tough but head up, not stop and work in practice. I’m playing little bit better.”

In about a month, Malkin will suit up for Russia at the Olympics. He noted that he’s looking forward to playing with his friends, Alex Ovechkin and Ilya Kovalchuk, at the tournament. And he went out of his way to ensure that he wouldn’t be calling his teammate and pal Sidney Crosby a “friend” when the puck drops for the Games. “No, no, not in Olympics,” chuckled Malkin. “Of course, still here but not in Olympics.”

Still, one has to wonder what’s going on in Malkin’s world. Poolies would have considered him a sure thing to produce points in the top portion of the league’s scoring race and few would have predicted that Malkin would sit 23rd in league scoring prior to Saturday’s game.

Malkin will make $9 million this year alone in Pittsburgh and is in the first year of a five-year $43.5 million contract.

Some are suggesting that Malkin’s lack of suitable linemates could be part of the problem for his lower production. Playing with Jordan Staal and Luca Caputi appears to have provided Malkin with some options, but not enough to really boost the forward to the scoring pace he should be hitting.

There is also Malkin’s shoulder to consider. He missed a couple of weeks due to shoulder trouble at the beginning of November and came back to the game before the injury had completely healed. Perhaps not taking a full 21 days to get things right hurt Malkin’s chances at putting the puck in the net.

Regardless of the reasoning, it’s no secret that Malkin is experiencing some difficulty in Pittsburgh. It may well be a passing issue, with the Olympics giving him a boost and the playoff rush providing him with more motivation to get his ducks in a row. Even so, it’ll be interesting to see how he approaches the finish line on the season and how poolies respond to his lack of production.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

The Toronto Star awards the Lou Marsh Award annually to Canada’s outstanding athlete and this year’s winner is none other than Sidney Crosby. The Pittsburgh Penguins superstar was voted on by a panel of sports editors, reporters and broadcasters.

At 22 years of age, it’s no secret that Crosby is fast becoming one of Canada’s most popular athletes. He already has a Stanley Cup on his resume and currently sits fourth in NHL scoring with 38 points this season.

Crosby’s been down this road before, too, winning the Lou Marsh Award in 2007.

The panel features representatives from the Star, CBC, The Fan 590, Globe and Mail, National Post, Sportsnet, TSN, Toronto Sun and The Canadian Press.

Also in the running for this year’s Lou Marsh Award were downhill world champion John Kucera, NBA star Steve Nash, doubles tennis pro Daniel Nestor, speedskater Christine Nesbitt and mixed martial arts fighter Georges St-Pierre.

Obviously the Lou Marsh Award is a nice thing for Crosby here, giving him even the slightest boost going into the 2010 Olympics where much is expected of the young star forward. While piling up accolades from the press is one thing, I’m sure Sid’s real focus is on nothing less than a golden performance in Vancouver.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

The scene at the Stanley Cup Finals after the game tends to be chaotic and this year was no different.

Pittsburgh Penguins team captain and superstar Sidney Crosby isn’t apologizing for an alleged snub of the Detroit Red Wings during the post-game celebration of Game 7 of the Finals. With some Red Wings leaving the ice before he joined the handshake line, it was interesting to note the backlash against Crosby coming from Red Wings forward Kris Draper.

“Nick (Lidstrom) was waiting and waiting, and Crosby didn’t come over to shake his hand. That’s ridiculous, especially as their captain, and make sure you write that I said that!” Draper told the Associated Press.

During the post-game celebration, Crosby was ushered around to various media outlets and took part in celebrating the Stanley Cup victory with his teammates. He was also the last person to join the line, by which time many key Red Wings players, including Lidstrom and Draper, had already left the ice. Somehow, Crosby received the blame for not doing the honours.

“I had no intentions of trying to skip guys and not shake their hands,” Crosby said. “I think that was a pretty unreasonable comment. The guys I shook their hands with, they realized I made the attempt. If I could shake half their team’s hands, I’m sure the other half wasn’t too far behind. I don’t know what happened there. I have no regrets. I’ve been on both sides of it, and it’s not fun being on the losing end. But it doesn’t change anything. You still shake hands no matter what.”

The comment from Draper is, in my opinion, more than unreasonable. It’s downright petty and rude. The reaction of some of the Red Wings players to leave the ice before the handshakes were fully completed, even if Crosby was somewhat late in arriving, simply reflects a sort of “sore loser” mentality. It was a classless display and it was even more classless to somehow blame their exit on Crosby.

Crosby shook hands with more than half of the Red Wings roster, including coach Babcock and goalie Chris Osgood.

It is interesting to note the contrast between this incident and last year’s. The entire Penguins roster waited around for the Red Wings to finish celebrating and reach the handshake line, but this year the shoe was on the other foot and the Wings acted like spoiled children not getting their way. It’s a situation that probably would have been largely ignored were it not for Draper’s idiotic post-game comments.

Grow up.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

In true heart-pounding fashion, the Pittsburgh Penguins rose to the challenge and defeated the favourite Detroit Red Wings to win the Stanley Cup. That they did so without the services of Sidney Crosby for more than half the game was remarkable, too, but for the most part this win was about character and heart.

Winning their third Cup in franchise history in Detroit’s building couldn’t have been an easy task for these young Pens and it almost didn’t happen. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made a critical save in the dying seconds of the game to keep his team’s 2-1 lead and Maxime Talbot provided both Pittsburgh goals.

In the end, it wound up being about depth and role players for the Penguins. They were able to get pucks deep and play hard along the boards against the veteran Wings, giving their team and their young players the extra boost over the edge necessary to get the better of the prepared, skilled Detroit team.

Evgeni Malkin earned the Conn Smythe Trophy after scoring 36 points in the post-season. He is the first Russian-born player to win the award.

Crosby missed about half of the game after being clipped by Wings centre Johan Franzen along the boards in the second period. He returned for only one shift of the final period and had to sit on the bench while his team pulled off the victory. “I don’t recommend anyone trying watch the Stanley Cup final, Game 7 from the bench. It’s a tough situation,” Crosby said after raising the Cup as the youngest player to do so.

The Penguins also become the first road team since the ‘71 Habs to begin a Stanley Cup final down two games and yet still win it all in the seventh and deciding game away from home.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

A big money save from Marc-Andre Fleury couldn’t have come at a better time as the Pittsburgh Penguins force Game 7 in the Stanley Cup Finals.

Fleury stoned Dan Cleary on a breakaway with just over a minute and a half remaining, sliding across after Cleary seemed poised to play hero for the Detroit Red Wings. Finishing with 26 saves with the world seemingly on his shoulders, the win has to feel absolutely amazing for the young Pittsburgh goalie.

Along with Fleury’s great save, it was the play of Jordan Staal and linemates Tyler Kennedy and Matt Cooke that really kept the Penguins in the game. While the Penguins’ star players, Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, were largely invisible, it was the play of the checking line that really brought things to a head.

Staal did everything asked of him, winning faceoffs and forcing chances while playing a desperate defensive game. He scored the game’s first goal, too, collecting his own rebound and popping the puck past Chris Osgood. Cooke’s physical play was outstanding, sending Detroit’s skilled forwards into overdrive and rattling a few cages. Kennedy was a big time player, too, scoring a goal and assisting on Staal’s goal.

Detroit frequently looked dangerous, however, and the Penguins were not in total control of the matchup. Bill Guerin looked wobbly and uncertain, taking an untimely penalty for a careless high-stick and generally looking lost with feeble attempts on goal from the outside when passing lanes were open.

Detroit was buzzing towards the end of the game despite being out-chanced. A key moment came near the conclusion of the game with a mad scramble in the crease, but Fleury was able to cover the puck before any damage could be done.

The series heads back to Detroit for the deciding game on Friday at 7:30 pm EST.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

After obliterating the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night, the Detroit Red Wings enjoyed a day off on Sunday before getting back to it with a hard practice on Monday.

Chris Osgood was able to get caught up on his sleep, telling media that he was banking on some rest before heading off to Pittsburgh for Game 6 on Tuesday. Osgood is a Conn Smythe Trophy candidate, for certain, as his performance in the post-season has been nothing short of spectacular.

Once practice rolled around, however, the Red Wings hit the ice on a mission and Osgood wasn’t napping any longer.

“We haven’t had a lot of practices like that the last couple months,” Brad Stuart said of the pace set at Monday’s practice. “It’s good to get out there to make sure your body is working.”

Pavel Datsyuk, by all accounts, looked pretty good during the skate as well. Any lingering effects from injury were either pushed below for the sake of getting on with it or were simply no longer there. Coach Babcock noted that the forward looked “really good” out there. That goes without saying, as Datsyuk’s incredible performance in Game 5 (two assists and great overall energy) gave testimony to his quality as a player.

With the Red Wings assembling every piece of their puzzle, the Penguins have an uphill climb set in front of them on Tuesday. Despite only being down a game, it’s hard to imagine the Penguins getting into this series to pull of a Stanley Cup win. At this point, it’s hard to imagine the young Penguins as being any other than true underdogs.

As noted by the CBC, “if the Red Wings win Game 6, they will hoist the Stanley Cup on the road and in the same building…for the second time in as many years, something unseen since the Montreal Canadiens at the Boston Garden in 1977 and 1978.”

With the Red Wings more than comfortable on the road, they will have to undress a series trend that has found the home team winning each of the first five games in the series. Even if that trend stays alive, the Red Wings will be the series favourites.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

The season is drawing to a close and we are now faced with the Stanley Cup Finals! This year’s matchup is a rematch from last year’s Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Detroit Red Wings matchup, marking the first time since 1984 with the Edmonton Oilers faced the New York Islanders a second time. The Oilers took the second meeting, kickstarting their dynasty and winning five championships over the next seven years.

Could the Pittsburgh Penguins accomplish the same feat? This series has a lot of similarities with that ‘84 series and should be incredibly exciting to watch. The NHL and NBC have bumped up the start of the series, so Game One gets underway Saturday.

The Stanley Cup Final matchup is:

Detroit Red Wings vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: I had anticipated much, much longer rounds earlier in the playoffs and didn’t think we’d be here this quickly, but the Penguins and Wings are playing as though they are possessed. Both squads are ready, both squads want to win more than anything, and both feature players at the top of their respective games.

The Red Wings will down a few key players, such as Pavel Datsyuk. Word ’round the campfire is, however, that Datsyuk may be back in business before we know it. The Wings have experience on their side, too, but the Penguins have shown tenacity and are as deep a team as there is in the National Hockey League. They can also boast experience, having been to the dance before last year.

In goaltending, I think the Penguins come into the series with a slight edge. Fleury is an energetic goaltender, but he plays with remarkable poise in big game situations. Osgood, on the other hand, is a seasoned pro but can be prone to making big mistakes in costly situations.

When all is said and done, the series will hinge around whether or not the Penguins can crack the defensive shell of the Red Wings and break through to put some heat on Osgood. If they can do that and if Crosby and Malkin are flying like they have been all season long thus far, I don’t think the Red Wings can pull off a repeat win. The longer the series goes, the better things will begin to look for the Wings.

My Prediction: Penguins in 6.

Feel free to list your predictions below in the comments section.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Looks like I got at least one prediction exactly right during this year’s post-season!

The Red Wings have eliminated the Chicago Blackhawks in five games, just like I predicted back on May 16. The Blackhawks gave the Wings a difficult fight, however, taking it overtime for three out of the last four games.

The Red Wings will now go on to meet the Penguins, who finished off a sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes yesterday, and will face off against each other in a rematch of last year’s Stanley Cup Finals. It should be interesting to see how the two teams have grown over the year and it should be a very exciting, up-tempo series.

The series is set to start a full week ahead of schedule, as the NHL doesn’t want a long layoff to curb the excitement brought forth in the post-season. The Stanley Cup Finals begin Saturday night in Detroit and I will have my predictions up shortly.

Detroit has proven that they can still go with the best of them even when they’re down players, as the absence of both Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk left the Wings looking deep in the bench to polish off the Blackhawks. The scoring support came from players like Darren Helm and Dan Cleary, who proved that there’s a significant amount of depth on that Detroit squad.

Perhaps one of the most interesting components of the Stanley Cup Finals as they approach is the story of Marian Hossa. He finds himself on the Detroit Red Wings a year after heading to the Finals with the Penguins. Hossa was offered a long-term deal with the Penguins, but turned it down because he thought the Red Wings had a better chance at reaching the Cup. With both teams a heartbeat away from the ultimate prize, it looks like the series could be a matter of pride for Hossa.

The series marks the first Stanley Cup Finals rematch since 1984 when the Edmonton Oilers defeated the New York Islanders after losing to them the year prior.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

Well, looks like I blew the prediction after all.

The Pittsburgh Penguins completed their sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night. The young Pens disposed of the Canes led by a driven and determine Sidney Crosby, unquestionably leading his team to the Promised Land again for a series that could very well be a rematch from last year’s Stanley Cup Finals.

It was a difficult series to pick, as the Hurricanes looked tough going in. They enjoyed considerable success blowing through New Jersey and the finalist favourite Boston Bruins. But Carolina struggled out of the gate against the Penguins and never came back, clearly winded from knocking off two superior teams in the opening rounds of the post-season.

It was tough to overcome Pittsburgh’s offensive weaponry, as one might expect. With Crosby and Evgeni Malkin leading the post-season scoring race, it’s not going to be easy to contain those two players. Carolina just wasn’t up for the task by the end of things and Pittsburgh’s great supporting cast made it look easy.

“Coming into the (post-season), these were the guys who scared us the most because of the way they played together,” Penguins forward Bill Guerin said of the Hurricanes.

The Penguins will now await the winner of the Detroit vs. Chicago series and they may not be waiting long, with the Red Wings in command of the series leading it 3-1.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.

The ultimate showdown, a Game Seven encounter between two of the best players in the National Hockey League, wound up being decided in more decisive fashion than most thought possible. The Pittsburgh Penguins, led by Sidney Crosby and a stellar centre-stage performance, bowled over the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin with a final score of 6-2. The Penguins will continue on in the post-season and the Capitals will go home.

Crosby drove the point home by scoring twice and adding an assist, yet he remained composed and intent on wrapping up the win throughout the game. His focus was astounding to watch, especially in such a young player, and it was impossible not to applaud such a performance in such a big game.

Pittsburgh will now wait for the winner of the Carolina vs. Boston series.

For a series with plenty of offensive skill and big moments, the Capitals vs. Penguins match-up came down to an unlikely finish. The Ovechkin vs. Crosby match-up did not disappoint, either, as plenty of drama and controversy peppered the series. In the end, though, one player owns a key victory and put together a striking performance in an important game. The other player is going home.

Ovechkin certainly was no slouch, of course, but it turns out that he could have an awful lot to learn from Crosby after all. One key moment found Crosby stripping Ovie of the puck and heading down the ice on the breakaway. The contrast was stark, as the exuberance of Ovechkin was beat out by the more purposeful and less flashy Crosby. This won’t always be the case, of course, and there’s no telling who will win the war between these two remarkable players.

As for now, however, the battle was won by Sid the Kid and the rest of the Penguins. It was a heck of a series and it will certainly give hockey fans plenty to discuss, debate, and enjoy for weeks.

It also served to be a great indication as to who truly is the best player between Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. While we may never have a solid answer (we may never want one), it sure was fun to watch those two great players do their thing.

Posted by Jordan Richardson.