penguin shuffle

- Evgeni, who is the best defensman in the NHL?

- Right now it’s Brent Burns from San Jose. He’s very effective on offense and he plays hard on defense. He’s having the best season of his career. Dominates in the team and in the league. Good shot, skating. It’s hard to play against him; he’s strong physically.

- Which NHL match do you remember most?

- There were enough of them, but probably Game 7 of the 2009 Stanley Cup Final against Detroit. There was tremendous pressure; we played on the road. The Red Wings were pressing us in the third period. Frankly, they outplayed us. But we scored fast goals in the first and second periods and held on to the lead. I remember a lot of excitement; how we wanted to win the Cup. Incredible emotions!

- Which Stanley Cup was heavier to raise - the first or the second?

- The first, because we lost the final to Detroit in 2008. It was very disappointing. Then we started the season badly. We were losing a lot of games, and changed the coach. However, we managed to reverse the situation. And we won game 7, though Detroit was slightly better. We played three lines in the third period, as Sid got injured. Our force was running out. If it went to overtime, we probably simply wouldn’t have had enough power. It was the most difficult victory. With the second Stanley Cup it was a bit easier. We led 2-0 in the series and matches developed in our favor.

- How do you measure Pittsburgh’s strengths in the fight for the Stanley Cup?

- It was a very busy season; there was the World Cup and last season we reached the Finals. We played a lot of matches in the last two years. But we have a good team, and the team’s makeup almost didn’t change. Young guys joined the team. They show a bright game, getting a lot of points. Jake Guentzel, for example. It’s a bit difficult to pronounce his name (smiles). These guys bring lots of speed. We have a good enough chance this season, if the injuries bypass us and we get a little bit of rest before the playoffs.

- Jaromir Jagr is already 45 years old, and he wants to sign a new contract with Florida. Up to what age would you like to play?

- It’s hard to guess, I’m only 30. I’d like to reach 40. Hockey is my life. And if you finish your career, it will become quite boring. But it all depends on your health. If your health allows, you can play for a long time. And if not, then don’t pull the last straw, don’t chase records and points. 

It happens, when hockey players suffer from concussions and it has lasting effects on their life after their career. People lose their memory. But I want my children to have a healthy dad. It’s important for an athlete to leave when it’s time.

- What was your favorite NHL team, before Pittsburgh chose you?

- I liked Colorado, as well as Detroit. I remember when the Russian Five was playing there, I was wearing a red cap. Then came the jacket with the emblem of Colorado. I loved Forsberg, Sakic, as well as Fedorov, Yzerman. At the time, it was difficult to follow the NHL, but I read in the newspapers about battles between those two teams in the playoffs. They even had had five on five fights. All of that was interesting to follow.

- Who is the best hockey player in the world?

- Sidney Crosby. I play with him, and I’ve seen a lot. Now there’s also Connor McDavid, a unique young hockey player. He shows tremendous hockey skill. So I’ll single out these two.

- You have two Stanley Cups. When you were with the national team did you make fun of Ovechkin?

- No, how can you say so? We respect each other. You see, the NHL and the national team are different things. And how can I gloat over Ovechkin? It would be very ugly. I understand how much he wants to win, his desire. You can’t joke about this.

- Is the gap between our hockey and Canadian hockey that big?

- Yes, there is a difference. Compare at least the number of hockey rinks here and there. But Russia has always been famous for individually strong players who played in small cities, and then reached big heights. Hockey in Canada is a tradition, it’s very widespread. Out of a thousand players, ten will be very good, and they will get through to the top. We have single breakthroughs, but there’s no such mass character. That’s what we need to develop, so young people will go for sports more and hang out in nightclubs less.

 - Do you began to play more accurately with age?

- I won’t say that my game has changed a lot, but with experience you get smarter. If you see a situation where a quick pass is the option and holding onto the puck isn’t a necessity - you’ll quickly pass it and won’t take an extra hit.

 - Do you often attend NBA and NFL matches?

- I rarely go see American football. We have a heavy schedule, and when the Steelers play at home, we’re on the road. But I love all kinds of sports. I go see NBA games if there’s time on the road. A couple of times I even went to Cleveland - it’s two hours away from Pittsburgh. We saw LeBron James the year he reached the Finals. They won the sixth match at home. Basketball is a very interesting sport. And it’s always interesting to watch how professionals work.

Evgeni Malkin #71 and Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate with the Stanley Cup Trophy after defeating the Nashville Predators 2-0 in Game Six to win the 2017 NHL Stanley Cup Final at the Bridgestone Arena on June 11, 2017 in Nashville, Tennessee.

When Pens winger Phil Kessel arrived at Ricoh Coliseum for Pittsburgh’s optional practice on Friday, he was met with a surprise.

Instead of finding his gear in a locker stall, it was set up on a chair outside of the locker room, complete with a case of Coke-a-Cola, cups for coffee, some signs and a big sign above it all reading “The Phil Zone.”

The prank was the brainchild of center Evgeni Malkin and head equipment manager Dana Heinze.

The backstory is this. On Thursday the Pens were playing against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. However, there were only 24 locker stalls available and 25 players in attendance.

Heinze approached Malkin out of respect and asked if he would mind being placed in a chair, since he was not playing that evening against the Devils. Malkin, of course, was fine with it.

Heinze set out to find “the nicest chair possible,” and set up his gear on the seat. As the team arrived for the morning skate, Kessel began chirping both Heinze and Malkin. He even tweeted a pic of the seat saying: “Pigeon couldn’t even get a regular stall.”

So Malkin and Heinze put their heads together for some payback.

“It wasn’t my idea. It was Dana. He said we need to answer,” Malkin said. “I wanted to answer today and Dana helped me.”