Malkin

While I referenced Malkin previously, I did have to agree with Therrien’s assessment that Malkin’s thing had been to let Sid do his thing lately. I don’t really think Malkin intended any harm by what he was doing—after all, Crosby is already the undisputed leader and heart of this Pens’ team.

However, Therrien was right when he challenged Malkin (I don’t want to use the term "call out") to do the same thing Crosby does. Because, frankly, though Crosby and Malkin are different players, they’re both obscenely talented. Both kids who can’t yet legally drink (in the US, anyhow), are already capable of dominating NHL games.

For the first years of his career, as he was still adapting to the NHL, Jaromir Jagr wasn’t yet a superstar as was Mario Lemieux. The Pens were Mario’s team, and Jagr was a supporting cast member. When Mario returned for the 1995-96 season, the Pens’ team suddenly had the two best players in the world on it—two superstars, two players capable of dictating the tempo of the games, of dominating the opponent, of just willing their team to victory.

Crosby’s already shown the capability to take over games as did Mario and Jags, and so, too (when Crosby was out injured) has Malkin. I still believe that we’re going to witness more growing pains with Malkin—the kid has to adjust to the North American game and ice surface, learn to keep his head up, and of course, learn to speak English—but like Jagr was as a youngster who couldn’t speak or understand English, Malkin GETS hockey.

Malkin can dominate games, and Therrien is right. Malkin needs to dominate games. Malkin and Crosby need to be "on" at the same time.

One of my favorite memories as a child was the night Mario and Jagr made a bet as to who would reach fifty goals first. By that point, Jagr could speak English, and there was good-natured competition as to who would win the scoring title that Lemieux ultimately won.

Right now, Malkin’s still the kid who doesn’t speak English and who doesn’t yet have the ability to crack jokes with the media (a trick Jagr’s long since developed). Malkin, probably partially due to his lack of familiarity with the language and culture, isn’t yet ready for a leadership role off the ice.

But on the ice, well, Malkin’s talent has to be on, and it has to be on at the same level as Crosby’s. Because when it is, wow; I’ll be able to add adult memories to my childhood memories of watching two of the best players in the world play for my team and both show themselves to be the best in the sport.