By Stevie
Over the weekend, the site got hard core trolled by fans from other teams. Not a big deal. Anyone is welcome to come here and post intelligent, civil responses. Unfortunately, we had more visitors that decided personal attacks were the best route of communication, but you’ll have that! It’s part of having a blog!
This carried over to the Facebook page, where this comment was left under the video of Evgeni Malkin’s 50th goal of the season:
Stamkos 60 goals out-does dirty Malkins 50…..sry….Stamokos made a list that contains 19 others in his 3rd year of 50 or more goals…….Malkin made no special list. When Malkin has 50+ for 3 years straight…..he can claim greatness….right now he is just another dirty Penguin
Completely well thought out commentary, no?
So, because Malkin had 10 less goals in 7 less games than Steven Stamkos, he cannot claim greatness? Yes, 60 goals is a fine accomplishment, as is Stamkos grabbing the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy for a second time. I am not saying that Stamkos is a bad player or attempting to downplay what he has done because it certainly is impressive. But Malkin isn’t on a special list? I know a few lists that Geno has landed himself on that Stamkos cannot claim:
2 time Art Ross Trophy winner
Calder Trophy winner
Conn Smyth Trophy winner
Stanley Cup winner
3 time finalist (this year being the third and he is favorited to win) for the Hart Trophy
Olympian
The response to my comment that Geno played 7 less games than Stamkos was “7 less games doesnt get him 60 goals.”
Actually, it could have. From January 13th to January 22nd, Malkin played in six games. How many goals? Nine. Nine goals in six games. Seven more games in the season for Geno could have very well meant 60 goals on his season. Additionally, Geno did finish ahead of Stamkos in points in less games. Geno finished with 109, Stamkos with 97.
Picture by Letangueray at the 2009 Stanley Cup Parade. What’s up, Vlad?
There are a lot of factors that play into this whole Geno vs Stamkos debate. Stamkos is a goal scorer, but Geno plays a more creative game and makes the players around him better. Look at his line mates. James Neal posted 40 goals, 41 assists and lead the league in power play goals with 18. Chris Kunitz had a career high season along side Geno for the first time with 26 goals and 35 assists.
Best line in hockey.
I did a little digging to see the scoring trends for Geno and Stamkos in each of their divisions and against one another’s divisions for this season. Stamkos plays in quite frankly, the crappiest division in all of the NHL. The only reason the Panthers made it to the 3rd spot in the East is due to the preposterous seeding rules of the NHL. The Capitols made it in by the skin of their teeth. The top teams for the East in points (besides the Bruins) were all in the Atlantic Division where the Pens play.
So how did Stamkos get to 60 goals? I can tell you that it wasn’t by playing against the Atlantic teams. Out of 20 games against the Atlantic Division, Stamkos was held without a goal in 12 games, 4 of which he failed to register even a point. The team that held him off best? The Penguins. He scored only 2 assists in 4 contests.
The team Geno thrived against in the South East Division was the Lightning, scoring 12 points total. He had 8 goals (2 hat tricks) in 4 contests. In the Atlantic (where Geno played 23 games), he was held to no goal in 8 games and 3 games without points. He scored goals in 14 games.
Now, in total games in these two divisions, Malkin scored more goals and more assists than Stamkos, while playing 3 less games against these teams. Geno played in 41 games, scored 34 goals and 35 assists. Stamkos played in all 44 scheduled contests and scored 33 goals and 28 assists. Geno was held without a goal in 18 total games, while Stamkos was held without a goal in 20 of these contests. Overall, between the two divisions, Malkin was more productive in less games.
As for the argument that he can’t lay claim to the goal scoring and be on the same “special list” as Stamkos… well that is irrelevant due to Malkin’s injuries. Let’s see Steven Stamkos win a goal scoring title after missing half a season. The previous two seasons, Geno did not play full seasons. He played in only 43 games in 2010-2011, missing almost half of the season. The previous year (2009-2010), he played in only 67 games.
Steven Stamkos has played in all 82 games for the past three seasons. He has actually only missed 3 games in his entire NHL career. Malkin has not played a full season since the Penguins last won the Stanley Cup. He also won the Conn Smyth and Art Ross that season. When Geno is healthy, Geno scores and comes up big with points. His career proves that. His name is already hanging in the rafters at Consol Energy Center for his scoring title and will be there again with other great names like Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr (and yes, Sidney Crosby).
Steven Stamkos might be a great goal scorer, but he is not yet worthy of the league’s MVP. That title belong’s to Evgeni Malkin. Stamkos can enjoy his trophy on the golf course.
highheelsandhockeysticks.wordpress.com 
Just for the sake of poking holes and being a dick: Your argument suggests that Malkin benefited greatly from playing against Tampa Bay (8 goals), which Stamkos did not have the advantage of doing. Furthermore, Stamkos actually suffered because he had 4 games against Pittsburgh (0 goals) which Malkin obviously did not have. Reverse them and what happens? We’ll never know 🙂 Nice post!
Haha man, if I could have added more stats I would have. A fraction of what I have didn’t even make it into the blog or it would have gone on forever! This is strictly based off of games in our respective divisions.
Also, what if Malkin had played a full season… the possibilities!
And you’re more than welcome to be a dick around here cause I like ya.
Yes….malkin scored 8 goals and points against a crappie team…TB….most of malkins goals came against crappie teams…..26 of them to be exact. Stamkos had a scoring drout of several games and still reached 60. Stats mean nothing if people are not objective. Stamkos reached 60 goals and Malkin did not…..that is a feat that few have done in history and Malkins name is not on that list…Period. 3 consect seasons of 50+ goals….Malkin is not there either. Stamkos also holds an NHL record achieved this year of most OT goals by a player in single season…..Malkin does not have that. Pitt won 51 games this year and 36 of those wins were against non-playoff or crappie teams. They couldn’t beat the GOOD teams in they’re own division…..they skated into the playoffs beating up on the little guys like bullies. More than half Malkins goals came against these crappie teams….yes, they made the playoffs…..but not in a way to be proud of. They bullied the way in by winning 75% of the games against crap teams. Good job Penguins……..School yard bullies on ice. If they can manage to beat the teams ahead of them…..then I will give them the due respect if it is doen in a manner worthy and not cheap hits and bad calls. Legitimate wins throughout the playoffs…then they will have proved that they are one of the top teams…..I just don;t see it. GO FLYERS……..just like all the Pitt fans yelling FLYERS suck after the game was over and Pitt lost gmae 1 on home ice……I don;t know if an entire areana yelling Flyers suck after they erased a 3-0 deficit and won the game is ignorance or straight up stupidity. That is not sportsmanship…….your fans can yell all they want as Philly skates off the ice with a BIG win……..no class.
Awesome post lady. Sport journalists better watch their ass 😉
haha thanks. I don’t think I am anywhere close to that! All I had to do here was look up stats!
What a great article! Well written and of course I agree 100%! Geno makes everyone around him better, look at Neal and Kunitz. The same can’t be said for Stamkos. Yes he is a pure goal scorer, but he doesn’t have that magic that Malkin has. Let’s go Pens!
Yeah…Malkin is Magic…..-1 in game one…….his magic helped Pitt win game 1…oh wait…they blew a 3-0 lead …AGAIN. Stamkos can’t make the Goalie better…..but his line mates got better around and with him as a team. Arrogant Pitt team and fans…….
The poster displays the typical fan – a shallow, uninformed and generally stupid about the sport they follow. Going more indepth on stats would not help this or many other fans of hockey comprehend. All teams, in all sport,s are deeply rooted with these fans; they are the majority. We all know this poster would scream with joy to have Malkin on their favorite team’s lineup. I’m filled with joy knowing he is on my team!
Anyone who denies they would be running through the streets screaming in happiness if they found out Sid or Geno was on their team is a liar. Flat out.
As I stated to you previously when i mentioned Stamkos……I am a Philly fan first and foremost and a Tampa fan cause I live here and those are the games I attend. Your post stats and all sorts of stuff…that are not telling the whole story. Malkin is a good player…not great. Stamkons is young and already one of the elite. The post from your followers is funny as well that stats don’t help fans…blah blah. I grew up in Philly and for all my years…Pittsburg has always had dirty players in the NFL and NHL….period. I am not saying philly has been that much better…..but Stamkos is a humble player in this day and age of self-centered players such as Crosby and Malkin that think they are the best. Probably why Jagr went to Philly over a team that he basically put on the map in Pitt. Jagr – one of the greatest to play the game- had enough sense to not want to be a part of pitt. Just like the game two weeks ago when philly was winning and pitt sends out the checking line with a minute left to try and hurt Briere……dirty and uncalled for. The hit on grossman was also uncalled for. That must be the only way they can win by injuring people and tonights playoff game proved that….Your great MALKIN was -1 and Briere had 2 goals. Your great team gave up a 3-0 lead (AGAIN) only to lose AGAIN. I told you Philly will beat them. Just as TAMPA BEAT THEM LAST YEAR IN ROUND ONE. If it was not for the goalie issues and tampa won 5 more games….they would be beating pitt again this year.
Malkin scored 109 pts this year and Stamkos was only 12 pts less. As you stated….Tampa and that division is the “Crappiest”….yet if it wasnt for TB, Malkin would be 8 goals and 8 pts less. Malkin has scored 26 goals against non=playoff teams and pitt has beaten 36 non-playoff (or as you say crappie) teams. Malkin had 33 more shots than Stamkos and 34 of his points were power play points compared to 25 from Stamkos. Malkin has played 102 more career games than Stamkos and only has 29 more goals to show for it. Stamkos average is 44 goals a year and Malkins is 34. They are equal in many ways….but Stamkos is younger player and already reached milestones.
Your bloggers mentioned that fans would jump to have Malkin or Crosbly on a team….I am not one of those fans and there are many that would not want that. They would poison a locker room with many other teams that are humble. All in All….my point from the start is that Philly will beat Pitt and it already began. Pittsburg does not know how to be humble and they are arrogant and that is why they lost and gave up a 3 GOAL LEAD YET AGAIN. Before all your Pitt buddies say I am foolish and don;t know what I’m talking about……Game 1 was the proof. Even the NHL commentators and broadcasters Stated that Pitts Arrogance cost them a loss. Its funny how Malkin doesn’t seem to perform well against the Good teams…only the CRAPPIE Ones.
last season is a completely ridiculous example. Tampa played a team that was run down by injuries, had no gas left, and their top players out of the game. For christ’s sake, the top line was a 4th line rookie, an old sniper and a guy new to the team and the east (who has turned around into a 40 goal scorer).
To say that Malkin isn’t an elite player is completely preposterous at best.
So you wanna go back to the April 1st game? OK. Well, you know the reason why we had our 4th line out on the ice? Because there was a minute left in the period and we were not about to put our stars out on the
ice in a game which we were going to lose and risk them getting hurt for the playoffs. Whatever line combos Philly decided to throw out there was on them, but we have been the walking wounded the last couple of seasons — no sense in tempting fate for 2 points that we could make up in another game. You can spin it all you want to, make it into a “we were trying to injure Flyer players” discussion, whatever. And, last time I checked, Geno isn’t THAT old…so he has plenty of time to ring up more awards, but like he has said all along, the goal is the Stanley Cup.
Its also funny that you talk about Pittsburgh having dirty players when the Eagles have Vick revered as a hero. The Steelers have Big Ben but we keep him at an arm’s length now. No athlete (or human) is perfect. You have absolutely no room for judgement. Maybe if you stopped and took your head out of your ass for one second you would realize that. Or do facts and figures scare you as much as bears scare Bryz?