Do the Penguins have a second half star (so far)?
by FrankD on Mar 7, 2009 11:54 AM EST
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PrintThings haven't exactly been busy for the Penguins these past few days, but that's likely a good thing. After all, no news is good news when in a run like this.
But I guess you could say the recent surge of wins and evident turn around since the all-star break got me thinking. Is there any one player that stands out as a second half star?
There's definitely a fair share of candidates.
Since the break...
Forwards
Evgeni Malkin has 10 goals, 14 assists
Sidney Crosby has 7 goals, 13 assists (but also remember he missed four games)
Petr Sykora has 6 goals, 4 assists
Jordan Staal has 3 goals, 7 assists
Ruslan Fedotenko has 2 goals, 6 assists (since returning from a broken hand on Feb 14)
Max Talbot has 4 goals, 3 asissts
D-men
Kris Letang has 6 goals and 1 assists (was scratched for three games)
Brooks Orpik has 5 assists and a +8
Sergei Gonchar has 2 goals and 5 assists (since returning Feb 14 from shoulder surgery)
Goaltending
Marc-Andre Fleury is 11-4-2 with one shutout and three consecutive games in which he gave up one goal
Does any one player stand out to you as the second half star, or has this been more a team effort than anything else? I'm tempted to think a lot of this recent success has to do with Marc-Andre Fleury's performance between the pipes, but I can't help but notice the other numbers as well.
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As much as I love picking favorites...
…and I do with Evgeni Malkin. But, I think it’s really been Kris Letang. He turns 22 next month, and has played with the patience and presence of a man who missed the better part of the Penguins season at the blue line. He’s been knocked around quite a lot recently, but has the grit to keep digging and finding the twine.
Fleury really has picked up his game, even for appearing like Tweek in South Park, but I feel that so far in this second half that blue line presence and people grinding it out at the net for rebounds has helped us step things up.
Still, we have to wait a bit before we hand out the PensBurgh Hart Memorial Trophy. Sidney had a great game to go with an excellent answer to a Panthers goal last game, and is due to play with new line-mates. Malkin is still rampaging in the scoring department, and Kunitz has played only so many games, but look at his stat line as a Pen.
Did I mention that thanks to this streak, it’s easy to write really positive things about pretty much any of these guys? ;)
I hear ya. Winning is nice. It makes writing about the team less miserable and all Debbie Downer-like too.
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Maybe it’s not clear through just statistics (although his stats are the best anyways) but I think Malkin has been the guy. The way he reportedly got them going during the 2nd intermission during the TB game a while back and stepping up on and off the ice while Crosby was out — yeah, gotta go with Geno.
the coach
i like the new coach………it seems as if the players don’t feel as handcuffed….time will tell which player will be the mvp……maklin has carried this team thru the regular season the last two years…..corsby has been playing with 3rd and 4th line players…and now that he has two 2 six forwards the pen’s will now have some depth….living in nj i have watch guerin play a lot……big and physical….much needed on crosby’s line….crosby’s needs some skilled protection and in my opinion guerin is that guy…..not too many of those player’s in this league….go pen’s!!
by malkin in the middle on Mar 7, 2009 8:43 PM EST reply actions
Malkin.
Why?
1. I love him
2. Look at him!
Haha, but really… Malkin hasn’t given up, he’s fought on that ice in each and every game.
You can’t take Malkin out of the equation, despite with all the losses and struggles they went through. He shone all the way through.
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