Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin isn’t an idiot. The veteran player, who took part in the team’s practice on Tuesday after taking his second maintenance day in a week on Monday, spoke with reporters after the skate and made a tough admission about his performances lately. He has been forced to admit that age is catching up to him.
“Every game I try my best,” Malkin said when opening up to reporters.
“I’m not playing like 15 years ago. It’s not the same game. I want to try to change a little bit. I know I’m not flying like before. I try (to be) a little bit smart(er) in my game.”
Later tonight the Penguins are facing the Florida Panthers in an important matchup as Pittsburgh needs to start racking up points in order to clinch a playoff spot, and maybe most importantly, avoid being sellers at the upcoming trade deadline.
Though Malkin ranks third on the team with 41 points, including 16 goals, he has been on the receiving end of some tough criticism lately with fans and pundits pointing to his slower pace on the ice. However, Malkin is aware of the changes he needs to make to keep up with his age, and even head coach Mike Sullivan explained how the Russian forward has been focused on making the right adjustments.
“We have seen Geno try and make adjustments to his game, and I think there have been moments when he’s really good at it,” Sullivan said. “That’s a conversation that him and I have had over the last little while.
“He’s still an elite player in this league. He still has the ability to drive a lot of offense, and we certainly want him to continue that aspect. But he’s played a lot of games in this league. He has a lot of experience. I think it’s important that he use that experience to play a more efficient game and make it easier on himself.”
Captain Sidney Crosby continues to be a dominant force in his late 30s, but the same cannot be said of Malkin. But he knows it and ain’t that the start to make the right changes to be better?
“We still have chances. The season is not over yet,” Malkin said. “Thirty games left. If we win most games, it’s a good chance to make the playoffs. Now we focus (on) every game.”
Ahead of Wednesday night’s action, the Penguins currently sit in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division with 53 points, seven points out of a the last Wild card spot with 33 games left. There are three teams, the New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Washington Capitals, between them and the last playoff ticket.
Malkin wants to help his team despite age is catching him and this biggest admission might be a way to focus on the positive, especially ahead of tonight’s important game against Florida.
Show us what you’ve got Geno!
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