Important Question: Is Evgeni Malkin Getting Into Fake Fights To Pad His Playoff Penalty Stats?
Evgeni Malkin got into a little tussle with Roman Josi near the end of Game 5 last night. The official call on the ice was 4 minutes each for roughing. But if the gloves came off earlier, that would have been Malkin’s 2nd game this Stanley Cup Final with both a goal and a fight. It would have been his 3rd SCF game with a goal and a fight in his career. Still, even without getting the official fighting call– that gives Geno 4 points and 17 penalty minutes in 5 Stanley Cup Final games this year. That’s 28 points and 53 penalty minutes in 24 Stanley Cup Playoff games. Savage numbers from 71.
The last time a player led the playoffs in both points and penalty minutes? Maurice Richard in 1947. So Evgeni Malkin has a chance to do something that nobody has done in 70 years. He’s got a 1-point lead on Sid right now and the next closest is Kessel with 23. He has the penalty minutes locked up by a Russian mile as the only player left who is somewhat close to him is Mattias Ekholm with 38 penalty minutes. But when you look at the two “fights” Malkin has gotten in this Final so far, well… the numbers don’t tell the whole story.
We already saw how the Malkin/Subban fight in Game 2 was more of a warm embrace between two lovers more than an actual fight.
Seemed to be a genuinely sweet moment between the two. Hardly worth 5 minutes in the penalty box.
And then last night’s extracurriculars with Josi would have never been called a penalty any time before the lockout. That was just what happened after every single whistle in 1947. So a fake fight against Subban in Game 2 and some casual pushing and shoving in Game 5. Totals up to an extra 9 penalty minutes which would put him at 44 total penalty minutes for the playoffs. Exactly 2 minutes behind Nick Ritchie for the lead.
