Red Wings-Penguins: Evgeni Malkin Finds Petr Sykora, Hope

With Petr Sykora finding the back of the net midway through the third overtime in Game 5 early Tuesday morning, the Pittsburgh Penguins have yet again found hope.  The real question now becomes, "Can they find the way to control the Detroit Red Wings?" 

The Red Wings carried much of the game, nearly doubling up their Penguin counterparts with 58 shots on goal to the opposition's 32 attempts on net.  Fortunately enough for Pittsburgh they took the right ones, ending up on the favorable side of a 4-3 victory in Joe Louis Arena in game 5.  The most crucial of these was Petr Sykora's power play tally in the third overtime, with Jiri Hudler off the ice on a 4-minute high sticking penalty, forcing the series back to Pittsburgh for game 6 of these Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Enough people will be talking about how great Monday/Tuesday's game was and I cannot blame them.  It was a great display of hope, heart, and desperation that I can pray will not be soon forgotten.  I, however, would like to focus on what this means in the coming days.  For the fans, the greatest in all of sports, it means the season can continue just a little longer.  It delays the long days of summer, waiting for preseason hockey in Mid-September.  Sykora's overtime heroics push this Stanley Cup Finals series more toward what most hoped it would be.  Most of all, at 9:57 of the sixth period in game 5, the door has opened for Evgeni Malkin.

Given the recent criticism, Malkin has done little to respond on the ice.  Even in the early stages Monday he looked lost, committing multiple turnovers on the Penguins early power play opportunities. 

Geno has shown very little of the talent and vision he put on display in the regular season, trailing Art Ross Trophy winner Alex Ovechkin by a mere six points in the scoring race. He finished with 106 on the season. 

With 19 points through the first 10 games of these 2008 playoffs, he was in every discussion for the Conn Smyth Trophy for playoff MVP.  As the significance of the games increased, his on-ice presence diminished. He has rapidly fallen into the shadows, only to be seen by the media has a flop and a failure when it matters most.

In the early hours of June 3rd, 2008, he was given the opportunity to change their perception. He has been given a reason to believe can be the most dominating presence in this series of superstars. He finally got a chance to shine and did so under the brightest spotlight. 

He may not have been the main attraction of the SportCenter top play or the highlight reel goal, but he showed us why we have come to expect so much of this 21-year-old star. 

He made the big play at the big time to keep the season going.  His primary assist on Sykora's game-winning tally just might be the tonic he needed.  In this NHL, youth dominates, but only when confident.  The Penguins have lived this throughout this series, living and dying by confidence and momentum. 

Malkin seems to have found his way. Can it lead him back to Detroit for Game 7?