Madden Monday on Evgeni Malkin: 'This is the best Geno we have seen in quite a while'
Halfway through March, it was shaping up as a forgettable month for Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin. On March 16, Malkin was riding a six-game pointless streak and had just one goal and two assists in the seven games to start the month.
But now, Malkin is in the midst of a four-game goal streak, and he just had a hat trick during the Pens’ 11-2 beatdown of the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night.
THIS. IS. INSANE. ???????????? pic.twitter.com/AA3K2KIhky
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 27, 2022
That was Malkin’s 13th career hat trick. Among active players, only Washington Capitals winger Alexander Ovechkin has more (28).
Mark Madden of 105.9 The X and TribLive thinks that Malkin’s slump was actually a catalyst for what has unfolded of late.
“He established a different way of playing during that six-game pointless streak. Which seems odd to say,” Madden pointed out during this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast. “But the physicality he got going out of frustration — frustration not with not getting points, but with having crappy linemates — that has driven him to just be a more physical and aggressive force. And now it is paying off in goals. This is the best Geno we have seen in quite a while, both production-wise and stylistically, for the past two or three weeks.”
To Madden’s point about linemates, Malkin’s resurgence partially aligns with the decision to put Bryan Rust on his right wing. That being said, Madden still thinks it behooves the Penguins to eventually put Rust back on Sidney Crosby’s line.
“I would put Rust with Sid. And I think that will happen eventually,” Madden said.
The question becomes, then, who plays with Malkin and in what configuration. Presumably, the recently acquired Rickard Rakell would be one of those wingers. But on which side? That could depend on Jason Zucker’s return from injury or Kasperi Kapanen’s ongoing attempts to shake out of his year-long funk.
Maybe that’s starting. Kapanen has points in three of his past five games.
But as Madden points out, Evan Rodrigues is going to have to produce on Crosby’s right wing if Rust is going to stay with Malkin.
“One thing that Sid is, and always has been, is an elevator,” Madden said. “Sid can make something out of Rodrigues. Whereas Malkin might need Rust.”
Rodrigues has three assists in the past five games, but he has scored just once since Feb. 20.
Madden said he wouldn’t rule out Rakell moving from his accustomed left-wing spot to the right side, but he’d avoid trying it.
Also in the podcast, Madden and I look at the depth of the Eastern Conference, Tuesday night’s game against the Rangers, Steelers draft prospects, the Tyreek Hill trade and the Deshaun Watson press conference.
Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via X. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.
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