February 2012 • - Nightwire Magazine

Pittsburgh Penguin’s Evgeni MalkinBy: Dave LozoNHL.com Staff Writerlevel right from training camp right into the regular season,”Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. “He had a few games outwith an injury, but we’re looking at the last two months becauseSidney came back and is out again, so we’re watching Malkinplay at that level without Sidney and really carry our teamoffensively.“I think he’s been that way for most of this year. He’s beendominant on the ice. He’s been good at both ends of the rinkand he’s been maybe the best player, the most dominantplayer, in the League. He’s buoyed our team when we’ve gonethrough a bunch of injuries.”Malkin said he hasn’t felt more pressure to produce withCrosby out; instead, it’s a group effort with everyone workingharder in Crosby’s absence.“I don’t know, I think everyone plays harder with Sid out,”Malkin said. “We’re not thinking about injuries. We play oursystem. We know how to play. We just maybe try to play betterdefensively, focus. Yeah, we lose six games before, but wedon’t think about this now. We focused on the new game.”For his teammates, Malkin’s dominance is reminiscent of hisplay during the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when he had 15goals and 16 assists in 24 games as the Penguins beat the RedWings in seven games in the Final. That performance earnedMalkin the Conn Smythe Trophy.© Pittsburgh PenguinsSince Sidney Crosby exited the lineup Dec. 5, the PittsburghPenguins have limped to a 9-9-0 record in his absence.If not for the heroics of Evgeni Malkin, things could be awhole lot worse.In those 18 games without Crosby -- and not to mentionKris Letang, one of the NHL’s best offensive defenseman whoreturned to the lineup after a two-month absence Thursday-- Malkin has 15 goals and 15 assists. He has factored in 30 ofthe Penguins’ 53 goals during that time (56.6 percent) and hasbeen on the ice for a whopping 34 (69.8 percent) goals duringthat stretch.Malkin has two hat tricks and eight multi-point games sinceCrosby’s departure, which has helped keep the Penguinsafloat in the Eastern Conference when they otherwise might bedrowning.“I think Geno (Malkin) this year has been at a different© Pittsburgh Penguins10 • February 2012