With the Pittsburgh Penguins advancing to the second round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs, one player who has stood high above anyone else is Evgeni Malkin.
Evgeni Malkin was truly a fundamental factor in the Pittsburgh Penguins five game series win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. With three rounds still to go, and with the pace he’s playing at, it’s clear he wants to win.
First Round Performance
Evgeni Malkin was no doubt the best player for the Penguins in the first round. He absolutely dominated the Columbus Blue Jackets both offensively and defensively, and the numbers just show it.
Pittsburgh Penguins
In the five games that the Penguins played against the Blue Jackets, Malkin put up two goals and nine assists for 11 points. 11 points in five games. That is insane! He currently leads the team in points, assists and +/-.
But his dominance isn’t just on the Penguins roster. Malkin is currently the league playoff leader in goals, and it’s not even close. In second place sits Derick Brassard with just eight points, tied with Phil Kessel. Malkin is the best player in the playoffs right now.
Playoff Performer
But this shouldn’t be all that surprising to you. Evgeni Malkin is a known playoff performer, and this is a fact.
Just take a look at the numbers. In 129 career playoff games, Malkin has 50 goals and 90 assists for a total of 140 points. This includes his amazing performance during the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs in which he led the Penguins to a Stanley Cup victory with 14 goals, 22 assists and 36 points in just 24 games. His performance was so dominant that it earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP.
Malkin has a desire to thrive in high-pressure situations. This is why he is such a great playoff performer, and we should expect big things from him this year.
What to Expect Versus Washington
As of right now, Evgeni Malkin is playing at a pace of 2.2 points per game. Let’s quickly translate this to the Penguins second round match-up against Washington, which will surely be intense.
Let’s just look at the worst case scenario for best results. We’ll say the Capitals take the Penguins to seven games. In 12 games, Malkin is on pace to score about 26.4 points. Unreal.
Next: Three Takeaways from the First Round
No matter how many points Malkin ends up with in the second round, one thing is for sure. Evgeni Malkin wants to win, and he wants to do whatever it takes to achieve that.