A Devil takes notice
PITTSBURGH — Evgeni Malkin has needed only four games to show the NHL he might be a very special player. He proved it to longtime star goaltender Martin Brodeur with one shot.
Malkin, moved up to Pittsburgh's top line with Sidney Crosby for the first time, secured the young Penguins' 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday night with exactly the kind of did-you-see-that-goal that made him a No. 2 draft pick in 2004.
Taking a cross-ice pass from Crosby, Malkin split two defenders and did a spin move near the net to beat Brodeur on a backhander to restore Pittsburgh's two-goal lead midway through the third period.
Malkin has a goal in each of his first four NHL games. He is the first player to do so since Steven King of the Rangers in 1992.
"I came right from the bench and I had a lot of energy," the 20-year-old Malkin said, speaking through interpreter George Birman. "A lot of guys on their team were wanting to change. He made a nice pass, saw me there and it was just me and the defender."
Brodeur's take on the goal?
"Pretty amazing," the Devils' longtime star goalie said. "It was a great pass, but there's not too many guys who can control that and, after that, have the presence to out-muscle a guy and shift when a guy is trying to take your head off. I thought I had it the whole way, he had nowhere to go, and he just stopped and went right around me with his reach."
Right now, a player must do something remarkable merely to get noticed on the Penguins. The NHL's worst franchise the last four seasons is flashing signs it could be much better — and soon.
Jordan Staal scored on a tic-tac-toe passing sequence with Nils Ekman, who also scored a goal, and Mark Recchi.
Oh, yeah, and those guys named Crosby and Fleury? Not to get overlooked, Crosby had a goal and an assist, and Marc-Andre Fleury lowered his goals-against average to 2.50 by making 22 saves.
