In this week’s Pucking the Trends, I look at shootout goalies, the return of Malkin, the suprise team of the East (against the spread), power-play splits, and games on the schedule between tired and well-rested teams.
Malkin the Magnificent
Evgeni Malkin returned on Saturday after missing seven games with a shoulder injury. In those seven games, the Penguins managed just 11 goals and posted a 2-5-0 record.
Pittsburgh has scored 11 goals and won both its games since Malkin’s return.
Dave Molinari of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette observes that Malkin will be relied on to cure Pittsburgh’s recent power-play woes (1 for its last 36).
“He’s a great player and gives us extra punch, extra force,” said Penguins forward Ruslan Fedotenko. “He makes the players around him better and creates more opportunities offensively.”
Read the entire article on Covers.com here.
