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Malkin's impact, Chicago's changes and the Maple Leafs (Puck Daddy Countdown)

EDMONTON, AB – MARCH 10: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins warms up against the Edmonton Oilers on March 10, 2017 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)
EDMONTON, AB – MARCH 10: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins warms up against the Edmonton Oilers on March 10, 2017 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Codie McLachlan/Getty Images)

(In which Ryan Lambert takes a look at some of the biggest issues and stories in the NHL, and counts them down.)

8. Missing Malkin

Listen, I don’t want to make too much of a stink here, but while we’re all sitting here saying, “Oh, aren’t you so excited for the Crosby/Ovechkin matchup in the second round,” most people are overlooking something.

No, it’s not the fact that the Crosby/Ovechkin argument is an obsolete relic from six years ago and no one should care about it any more. Although, certainly, that’s true.

It’s the fact that the best player in that first-round Penguins series was in fact Evgeni Malkin. My man very quietly put together a 2-9-11 line in five goddamn games. The media will not cover this.

Even in the game the Penguins lost, he had two assists. He had 0-3-3 in the series clincher, just humiliating the opposition while Crosby ate the only tough competition the Blue Jackets could put over the boards. This freakin’ guy!

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He now has 140 career playoff points in 129 games. That’s almost incomprehensible. It puts him fourth among active players, only four behind Crosby for second, and nine back of Hossa for second. Probably tough to run down Jagr’s current record of 201, but come on.

This guy has absolutely shredded defenders in the playoffs his entire career. Few talk about this.

If he were Canadian or American, he’d be one of the top 100 players of all time before you could say, “Jonathan Toews.”

7. How the Bruins went out

It kinda says a lot about the quality of the Ottawa Senators on the whole that so much needed to go their way for them to win their first-round series, albeit in six games.

The Bruins were basically playing Zdeno Chara and an AHL roster on the blue line, but Ottawa needed Erik Karlsson to start playing like the games were on Easy Mode, and for the Bruins to take approximately 400 puck-over-the-glass penalties to even keep things close in regulation.

Here’s how the Bruins lost this series (and it is absolutely wild):

Game 1: Narrow regulation win.
Game 2: OT loss 12 seconds after a puck-over-the-glass penalty expired.
Game 3: OT loss on a horrible roughing call that should have been 4-on-4 or nothing at all.
Game 4: Even narrower regulation loss.
Game 5: Narrow regulation win.
Game 6: OT loss on a meh holding call that probably shouldn’t have been a penalty in overtime of an elimination game.

You know me, folks. I’m not a big Bruins Believer, at all. But, like, this is an insane amount of bad luck (and bad officiating).

People were laughing about Bruce Cassidy saying the team was proud regardless of how it lost, but with the blue line basically a M*A*S*H* unit and not being able to catch a break from the refs. I think there’s legitimately a lot for a team to be proud of there given the circumstances.

And I usually hate that kinda gotta-lose-to-succeed-and-at-least-we-tried nonsense.

6. Being the Rangers (maybe)

Hey man it’s nice to be able to pull that Sens card in the second round after running into a dysfunctional Montreal club in the first. But here’s what I’d be worried about: If they get to the Eastern Conference Final again — which they should, because Ottawa really isn’t great — what does that do for the team’s perception of itself.

It seemed like we were really close to some sort of realization of how good this team actually isn’t, but that might all go out the window if they can somehow only get smoked by Washington in the ECFs. (Which, by the way, I have a Caps/Rangers ECF on the books over here. That seems like it could be good, right?)

Not that they’re going to be deluded into thinking Dan Girardi is good any more, but the impulse to keep the band together if it gets to a conference final again is one that should be ignored at all costs. This team frankly wasn’t that good in the regular season. There’s no window to win a Cup here.

Best-case scenario: Use the capital any over-30 player builds up in this playoff to flip them for futures. Ooo, that’s a good idea. I’m glad I thought of it.

5. Changes in Chicago

One thing that seems like a really good idea is firing your elite head coach’s best friend who also happens to be a pretty good PK and defense coach in his own right. Probably won’t piss anyone off. Probably won’t make your PK or D any better.

To fire Mike Kitchen because you feel like you need to fire Someone is very dumb. Yeah, the Chicago PK has been in the lower third of the league, percentage-wise, over the past two years. You know what else it was? Staffed by an over-30 D corps that for the most part couldn’t be moved because the GM gave out too many bad contracts.

In much the same way I’m not sure what Dan Bylsma was supposed to do with that D group he had to work with in Buffalo, I couldn’t tell you what Kitchen was expected of Kitchen given the quality of the guys he had to work with.

As always, who’s gonna do a better job with that group, none of whom are going anywhere next year? I’d love to hear ideas.

Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin responds to questions from reporters, Monday, April 24, 2017 in Brossard, Quebec. The Canadiens were eliminated by the New York Rangers in first round of NHL playoffs. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP)
Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin responds to questions from reporters, Monday, April 24, 2017 in Brossard, Quebec. The Canadiens were eliminated by the New York Rangers in first round of NHL playoffs. (Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press via AP)

4. No changes in Montreal

Marc Bergevin seems bereft of answers. Can’t trade Carey Price for a No. 1 center because if you trade an elite goalie, you’re only going to get worse, even if you get that solid No. 1.

But folks I gotta tell ya: This is what happens when your organizational philosophy shifts to “We have to get tougher.” Yeah, the Habs don’t have a No. 1 center, but look who they acquired in the past year: Shea Weber, Andrew Shaw, Dwight King, Steve Ott, Jordie Benn. All guys who have the same profile; they may not be good, but at least they’ll punch someone in the face.

You trade guys who can move the puck and bring in guys who can’t, then try to blame your world-class goalie? Like, come on.

This guy is very clearly in way over his head. I don’t know what goes on up there, but Bergevin’s only smart move of any consequence in like three years has been hiring Claude Julien.

3. Making the right call

Well, it took three years, but the Canucks finally made the right call. And they’re lucky to have that luxury.

Someone really should have come along and hired Travis Green by now, but the fact that they haven’t is to the Canucks’ benefit at the end of the day. Imagine if they hadn’t had a total incompetent behind the bench since 2014. What a world this would be.

2. Injuries

Legit question for you.

What’s more impressive: Joe Thornton being decent against the Oilers despite a torn MCL and ACL, or Erik Karlsson dominating the Bruins — and somehow putting on skates multiple times a day — with a broken foot?

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Both are bonkers.

AND IF LEBRON JAMES HAD EITHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS HE WOULD HAVE DIED, RIGHT FOLKS????

1. The very strong Leafs who are so nice and little

You might just want to prepare yourselves emotionally right now: On Oct. 1, 2017, every major hockey site and publication on earth will have the Leafs at least going to a Cup Final if not winning the damn thing.

It’s not the worst take in the world, but man it’s gonna get a lot of pageviews and move a lot of magazines. This is going to be a very good team, as I’ve said all year, but I’d like to see them make a few more material improvements before I start the coronation.

(Not ranked this week: Days off.

The problem with the playoffs is that as the games get higher-stakes, they also become fewer and farther between. I love seeing multiple OT games in the first round. I hate waiting three days between rounds.

The first round is the best time of the year for hockey, without question. Everything that comes after it just becomes kind of a bummer.)

Ryan Lambert is a Puck Daddy columnist. His email is here and his Twitter is here.

(All statistics via Corsica unless otherwise noted.)

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