Watching this thing tonight and the Russians are flying around the ice. The Finds look pretty slow right now.

But Malkin just slid hard into the boards and went straight for the tunnel, holding his left arm and favoring the wrist. I'm going to be pissed if he broke the damned thing.

Malkin is back on the bench waiting for a shift now, or so it looks. Thank goodness!

Malkin wins MVP.

Glad he finally showed up a month later for something that truly matters...

_________________

I'm sick of hearing 'bout the have and have-not's
Have some personal accountability
The biggest problem with the way that we are doing things is
The more we let you have, the less that I'll be keeping for me

It clearly mattered to him. He looked every bit as happy and was celebrating every bit as hard as he did during the Cup win. I think it's safe to say that the vast majority of non- North American hockey players who come from countries far more obsessed with hockey than the US don't grow up dreaming of winning a North American sports trophy. It's a different game in Europe and it's great hockey, and a far more pure form of the game than what's being played in the NHL today. No surprise at all to me that more and more players are staying on their side of the pond to play hockey rather than come to the NHL. They can still get the big dollars in the KHL (or make decent coin in any of the other Euro pro leagues) if they're good enough, and they get to remain within their own culture playing the game they grew up with. Guys like Kuznetsov are a great example.

The Russians were clearly out to make a statement this year. And it was amazing watching how much space on the large surface Geno would cover so quickly and with so much fewer strides than anybody else on the ice. The dude is so big and strong it's crazy. It was also telling how much more dominant he has become over guys like Ovechkin, who looked like just another KHL guy out there by comparison. Amazing how stale his game has gotten.

As for the surface, I realize the NHL would never switch to an international sized surface, but something in between could work well. And it's much harder to line guys up for massive shots on the larger ice....speaking to the concussion issue. Actually, the NHL should thank its lucky stars it has other avenues it can explore on this issue without ripping at the very core of the game. The NFL and the sport of football will not be so lucky.