Danny and I discussed Evgeni Malkin’s “defensive mishaps” and why he thinks they’re overblown on the latest episode of the Breakdowns & Breakaways podcast. I thought this was a good take on Geno’s approach to the game.
by eddiep412
@Pittsburgh Penguins
8 Comments
Who the fuck is Danny
Geno’s defense overall isn’t that bad. But there does seem to be a lack of hustle specifically on breakaway chances.
We have seen his skating speed on display when he has the opportunity for a breakaway of his own, so why isn’t he showing that same effort when he is our last line of defense before Jarry?
user reports:
1: Self promotion
There’s a “gentleman’s agreement” for this type of stuff here and in /r/hockey – 10 comments in the sub per post. In other words, if you reasonably participate in other discussions, you can get away with a little self-promotion. /u/eddiep412 has not met the guidelines for discussion, but this post will stay up basically as a notice for the above. LGP
Anyone who actually knows hockey, knows that “Malkin is bad at D” or “doesn’t D up”, is taking a stroll down narrative lane, and possibly turning on to Xenophobic Ave.
Dude takes more pucks away than just about any other forward you’ve seen in this sweater. He also carries the puck as much and makes as many passes as any other forward on this roster – usually a bit more due to his role and linemates. This means that he will necessarily, and not due solely to mistakes he makes, have a lot of turnovers. Lots of pass attempts, means more incompletions and intereceptions, right?
Anyway, Geno is score and fuck anyone who disagrees.
Hes been my favorite player since he entered the NHL
Hes not bad at defence, hes just lazy at it..
But when he really wants to he can play get 2 way game and dominate the center of the ice with his reads and reach much like Mario did in the 80s
He might look like hes not trying but like Mario hes staying in the middle and looking to strike with his reach just at the right time to create his scoring chances.
Just that I find on the PP you’ll see the Lazy Geno on the back check, especially sometimes when hes the one that gave it away and put Letang in a bad position.
Also with Crosby being such a hard worker on the back check, it makes Geno look bad when he sometimes looks like he’s floating
man, this podcast gets close, but then entirely misses the issue. That’s what happens when you have people without foundational expertise opining.
He’s not bad at D. He’s bad at giveaways with weak back hands on the blue line.
When he tries he’s not that bad it’s more of a laziness thing I feel like or only wanting to focus on the offensive side of the puck.