Monday, March 10, 2008

Dynamic Russian Duo: So Who's Better?





1) Before this season there was no comparison. Clearly Ovechkin was the superior player, right? Well don't look now, but Evgeny (Gino) Malkin is now his equal and some may even be whispering that in the end he may yet prove to be the better all around player once their collective careers are through.



2) Its probably a tad too early to make that kind of statement, but few would have thought even 2 months ago that it was possible that the two were on the same plane. Sure Malkin was proving to be quite a capable forward. An excellent secondary threat after Crosby. However once Sid went down with an ankle injury in January, Evgeny's career really took off. Once the shackles of being in the background was gone, Malkin stepped up his game to a new level. Even surpassing Ovechkin for the league lead in points at differing points the past 2 weeks.



3)The two will ever be linked as they went 1-2 in the 2004 NHL Entry draft. Ovechkin was the prize everyone coveted, but most believed that Malkin was going to be a significantly good player in his own right. He has had the 'misfortune' of not only being drafted with Ovechkin, but to then have to be coupled with Sidney Crosby. That has proven to be a blessing and a curse. A blessing since he has had much less pressure to perform and has had a frequent talented player to hook up with (something Ovechkin did not have his first 2 seasons) A curse in that Malkin's depth of talent was easily over looked with his immensely talented teammate getting the lion's share of the press coverage/accolades.



4) To go through each player's strengths and to say one is 'better' than the other in a particular area diminishes the other's ability, but for the sake of this argument, we will attempt to do so anyway. To say that one is better might connote that the other is deficient. However this is not true of any of the areas we will look toward as differences between the players
  • Goal scoring- With 152+ goals in his first 3 seasons (more than any NHL-er over this span by far!) AO has the clear edge here, BUT Malkin has shown a keen sense for the net and is no slouch at finding the twine either. (71+ in his first 2 years) He doesn't have nearly the shot, and probably won't score 60 in his career, but he is a danger to score every time he takes a shift, and is on pace to score 40+. Its just not fair to compare him to the most prolific scorer to come out of Russia since Pavel Bure. Edge Ovechkin
  • Play making- Much like the goal scoring issue, its unfortunate we have to choose here, but so far Malkin has the edge. Through their respective first 2 seasons (Malkin's is on-going) Ovechkin had 87 assists, while Malkin has 106 helpers. Ovechkin however is no puck hog despite his enormous number of shots. He can/has made numerous amazing passes. Unfortunately until this season he had almost no one who had the ability to finish those into goals, while Malkin had/has a bevy of top forwards to set up. Still, Malkin looks like he will become/is a perennial 60+ assist guy, while Ovechkin probably won't approach that figure. Edge Malkin
  • Physicality- Another area which would seem at first brush to favour Ovechkin, but after watching Malkin play the difference is not as enormous as first thought. Clearly Ovechkin is a freight train on skates. Outside of Zdeno Chara, few if any defenders have been able to handle him one on one without coming out of it worse for wear. However, at 6'3" 200, Malkin is no shrinking violet. He also plays with an edge and can take/give a hit. He doesn't play like he's a missile shot out of a cannon like Ovechkin, but at some point that aspect of Alex's game will either result in injury or he will have to tone it down to extend his career. For now though, its a significant part of the Power forwards ' power' game. Edge Ovechkin
  • Potential- Here is where things become 100% subjective. Predicting how 2 careers will proceed is near impossible. Suffice to say though that IF both remain relatively healthy both will be near the top of the league in goals and points for the next decade. Could, as some recently have asked, Ovechkin become the Best LW of all time? While it appears that Ovechkin with his 13 yr extension is in DC to stay, it is unknown whether Malkin will be affordable/amenable to give a home town discount to remain a Penguin long term. In a salary capped NHL its hard enough to keep one super star, let alone several and compete (See Tampa Bay). Does he want to be second fiddle, which he would always be in Pittsburgh? Regardless of where he plays it appears that we have only seen the tip of the iceberg of what Malkin might be able to do in the NHL. Scoring titles and a case full of trophies would not be surprising. Either way, there is little doubt both will provide many seasons of excellance. Edge: The NHL/Fans!!


5) What has become abundantly clear is that these two will be dominating the NHL for many years to come. So much for the silly argument that the transfer agreement has reduced the talent that Russia is sending the NHL. We will be just fine, You (Russia) can keep Yashin, we'll take these two!

13 comments:

Ron said...

Hey I might be biased, but my team has kicked the crap out of Ovechkin and his team every time they've played? I don't care how many cheap goals he gets against the weak SE division. Malkin has to work against a much tougher Atlantic and this is only his second season. he's only going to get better. Its scary how much better he gets every game.
I predict that this time next year he abd Sid are the ones who are neck and neck for the scoring title and Ovechkin and his little team will again be whining and not playing in the post season.

Shmee said...

Dearest Faux, I could have answered this for you without the post...OVIE.

Seriously though, Malkin does not deliver the kind of hits that Ovechkin does. He is physical, but not to the same level as Ovechkin. That may change in time however.

No doubt also that Ovie is the more charismatic of the two, since he speaks English and all...

One last point: work ethic. Ovie IS the game. No one is more disappointed with a loss, or strives to give it his all as much as Ovie does.

One last last point: Could Malkin alone carry the Pens the way that Ovie has carried the Caps? I dont think so. He stepped up with Crosby out, but why did he have to "step" up. That intimates that he wasnt playing at his full level all along. And he is surrounded by an All Star cast, who are young but with NHL experience. The Caps are a very young, rookie heavy team.

FAUX RUMORS said...

1) Ron: We believe that the stats show that unlike other SE scorers like Lecavalier and Kovulchuk, Ovechkin scores a higher % from OUTSIDE his division.
2) Shmee: As always thanks for your input. We perhaps weren't clear enough in our assessment that at this juncture Ovechkin IS the better player, BUT we also wanted to say that the gulf between the two players is not nearly as vast as it was before, and we attempted to give a non-biased view of the two VERY talented players.

The Puck Stops Here said...

You talk about the lack of a transfer agreement not hurting things (yet). The question is will the next big stars out of Russia come to the NHL or not and if they do will they stay for their whole careers? And what about the players who may not be superstars but would be some of the better players on their NHL teams? I would argue a few of them are in Russia right now and not hte NHL.

FAUX RUMORS said...

1) Other than maybe a guy like Alex Morozov, and perhaps a select few others who would probably have been marginal NHL-ers, most of the guys who stayed in Russia/Europe are either guys who are over the hill(Yashin) or not yet good enough to make big impacts upon the league.
2) Many have been writing that the sky will soon be falling, and most of the better Euros will stay on their side of the pond. So far, we don't see that trend. The NHL is still the premiere league.

Ron said...

I don't care that Ovechkin scored more in his division or not. He hasn't led his team to the playoffs like Crosby has. Now Malkin is leading us to the playoffs. I think Malkin is as good as Ovechkin and in a year or two wil be better and Crosby is head and shoulders better now.

Antzmarching said...

There may not be an answer to this specific question, Faux... However, what I must say, though, is that I have never before seen a player like Alex Ovechkin - and this is 37 years of watching hockey... AO is a package of abilities and skills that is unmatched by any of his contemporaries... Speed, scoring touch, and amazing power with the propensity to use it... Mike Bossy had the best hands and knack for scoring I had ever seen... Many players have skated faster than Alex... Certainly, he's not the strongest guy in the history of the NHL... But, his unique combination of skills is unparalelled and it is what I think sets him apart... Malkin has these characteristics with 2/3 the intensity... He is a great player now, and is probably this year's MVP, but he really doesn't present the nightly threat that Ovechkin does... Remember, Malkin also plays with Sidney Crosby... Imagine Ovechkin receiving passes from Sid every night - he'd be the next 70 goal guy...

Both men are a credit to their teams and to Russia... The big winner here is the future of the NHL... Too bad BUTTMan is in charge of all this - only he could screw up the potential of these three magical players...

Antzmarching said...

Ron, you have answered this question with the predictable classlessness that you and your fellow Pens fans exhibit... Just enjoy your two amazing superstars and stop taking shots at Ovechkin... Also, your "cheap goals" analogy is laughable... His centermen over the years have been Dainius Zubrus, Jiri Novotny and now a rookie, albeit talented, Nick Backstrom...

FAUX RUMORS said...

1) Antz: yes, Ovechkin's enthusiasm/personality is infectious, as is his all out hustle on almost every shift.
2) We have recieved numerous e-mails from Cap fans blasting this post. They apparently are very sensitive right now about anything said about Ovechkin, but its probably disapointment over their recent play against their rival Penguins.
3) We say again that we believe right now Ovechkin IS the better of the two, BUT the difference is not as vast as it was before this season. Yes, we took into account(and mention in the post) the differences in rosters.

Jibblescribbits said...

I don't understand why Pens fans always take cheap shots at Ovechkin. It's not just here, but in other blog threads too.

Ovechkin is not only a great talent, but he has a pretty great personality too. He was one of the few that decided to have fun in the shootout contest in Atlanta this season. He met his (hot) bride on the internet. He enjoys the game of hockey (and he cares as his reaction to Backstrom's own-goal shows) and he looks like André the Giants skinny little brother. What's not to like about the guy.

DMG said...

I think it's kind of silly to try and use the fact that the Capitals haven't been in the playoffs since Ovechkin arrived as a strike against him - hockey is a team game and one guy isn't going to lead you to the playoffs all on his own.

On an individual level, I think Ovechkin's numbers have been below his potential. As mentioned he was center by Jeff Halpern and Zubrus during his first couple years and the opposite wings have been guys like Chris Clark and Richard Zednik. Quality players, but not first liners. By contrast Malkin started his career playing with Crosby, so I'm sure that helped.

I'd agree Ovechkin is the better goal scorer and I haven't see Malkin enough to compare their playmaking abilities but if people think he's a better playmaker I won't disagree, but I think Ovechkin is the better of the two because (1) he plays more physically and leads his team in goals, points and hits and (2) he has a better ability to completely take over a game - Malkin has one four point game this season; Ovechkin has two four goal games.

Antzmarching said...

Excellent point DMG - I had forgotten about all those shifts (both on the PP and 5 on 5)alongside Halpern... And remember, Alex's value may also be measured in the % of team goals he scores... AO is amazing!

FAUX RUMORS said...

1) Jibble: We suspect that the 'cheap shots' are going both ways. Intelligent hockey fans would realize that both teams have incredibly talented young players, and to try to diminish one to try to elevate the other is just, stupid.
2) DMG: we did mention Ovechkin's lack of supporting cast (especially in his first 2 seasons) as a factor. We find it interesting that he hold the caps record for most ASSISTS by a rookie, despite having few to pass to in his first year. Still, its inevitable when one is comparing two players, that team success be factored into the equation. After all hockey IS a team sport!
3) Antz: Ovechkin is scoring something like 27-28% of his team's goals. An incredible feat!

 
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