Evgeni Malkin is doing it again.
The Pittsburgh center, coming off one of the most disappointing seasons of his career, appears to be rounding back into the dynamic form that Pittsburgh has grown accustomed to seeing over the past 13 years.
Malkin has eight goals and 18 assists this season, but it's his play of late, with fellow star Sidney Crosby out of the lineup with a long-term recovery from core muscle surgery, that has caught the eye of his teammates.
Since Crosby went out of the lineup on November 10, Malkin has scored six goals with 14 assists. That's 20 points in 13 games.
"Top end caliber. He's the top player in the game right now," said winger Jake Guentzel, who has moved onto a line with Malkin following Crosby's injury. "He's showing it, how good he's playing. Just to be able to see it, be a part of it, it's pretty cool. I think maybe people have doubted him, but to see how he came back and how he's carrying this team right now, it's pretty cool to see."
Guentzel has reaped the rewards of playing with a determined Malkin. After being held without a point in the first two games following Crosby's injury, Guentzel has gone for eight goals and nine assists.
For him, not much has changed with having a new center.
"I just try to get him the puck as much as possible," Guentzel said. "I just have to try to get open because I know they're both going to find us."
Some teammates are familiar with Malkin's ability to take over from playing with him for years. Others, like Alex Galchenyuk, are getting an initial firsthand look at what Malkin can do. But that doesn't mean they weren't ready for it.
"I mean, there/s no surprise," Galchenyuk said. "He's ben playing what, 13 years? Even when I wasn't on the team, you see it. It's hard not to notice when you're on different teams, watching the highlights.
"When it was Pittsburgh, he usually chips in. So there's not much surprise there. He works hard on his game and it translates on the ice, in the games."
Malkin's next goal will be his 400th in the NHL. After recording just 21 goals and 72 points last season, one in which he was a career worst minus-25, Malkin has seemingly righted the ship. He's a plus-9 so far in 2019-2020.
"His success over his career, it shows how good of a player he is," Guentzel said of Malkin approaching the milestone. "It's hard to do that. He's been there, year in and year out. Just a really high end player and it's going to be fun to see."
