Malkin takes blame for Penguins' 6-2 loss at Florida
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SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Penguins are still looking for answers. Center Evgeni Malkin instead offered a reason ... him.
At least, he felt responsible for the latest setback as the Penguins try to navigate out of a losing streak that last night hit a season-high five games with a 6-2 defeat to the Florida Panthers at BankAtlantic Center.
"It's my fault tonight," Malkin said. "After [Florida] scored a second goal, my game is not good, I know."
On that second Panthers goal, Malkin was in his own end when he had the puck poked away by Gregory Campbell. It went directly to Florida's Radek Dvorak, who cut in from the left circle and scored at 17:35 of the second period to tie the score, 2-2.
It was Dvorak's first goal of a hat trick night and came 1:02 before Rostislav Olesz scored what proved to be the winner, wiping out a 2-0 lead the Penguins had built in the first period on goals by Tyler Kennedy and Sidney Crosby.
The Panthers then poured it on with goals from Steven Reinprecht and two more from Dvorak, and goaltender Tomas Vokoun finished with 46 saves.
In a quiet locker room afterward, Malkin's long face stood out.
He is searching for answers to his personal slump. A brief awakening with a hat trick Dec. 23 against Ottawa and an assist the next game are Malkin's only four points the past eight games. He has 13 goals, 38 points in 36 games -- not exactly the kind of pace expected of the reigning NHL scoring champion -- and has goals in just three of his past 16 games.
"I don't know," Malkin said. "I'm trying to play simple, but I don't know."
Malkin hit the post twice Saturday night in a 3-1 loss at Tampa Bay. Against Florida, he had eight shots, two more blocked and missed on another, but he still had a plus-minus rating of minus-4 for the game.
Crosby, a fellow center and past scoring champion who knows something about the pressure of a slump, stood by Malkin.
"He's getting chances," Crosby said. "He hit two posts [at Tampa]. It's a fine line. Sometimes it's not going your way.
"It's kind of the natural thing when you're struggling as a player and you start losing, guys like us get looked at, and that's fine. But I don't think he's got to change a whole lot. I think he's one shot away from being back where he wants to be. He's playing good. They've just got to go in for him."
First Published January 4, 2010 12:00 am
