Evgeni Malkin is not the first great player to hit a bad bump in the playoff road. After a quick talk with Dan Bylsma Malkin made conclusions and changed his game. Teammates noticed a difference in him even before the puck was dropped. "He was in a much better mood. I think he knew he was going to be better," winger Matt Cooke said.

Whenever Evgeni Malkin's parents come to Pittsburgh, he starts playing better. Seems like their visit during the playoffs is just what Evgeni needed. Read the story of Malkin, a native of Magnitogorsk, turning from an angular teen into one of the best players in the NHL.

Sergei Gonchar talks about Evgeni Malkin. "I wouldn't say he's a different guy," Gonchar said, "But his confidence level is higher this year. He's been around the guys for three years now. His English is better. He has his own house, his family is with him, so I guess the comfort level is higher."

Last year Malkin made a serious run at the Art Ross, but ceded it to Alexander Ovechkin. This year he outscored Ovechkin by 3 points and became the 4th Penguin to win the Art Ross.
The list of all Penguins Art Ross winners and Evgeni Malkin post game interview inside.

Malkin is no doubt deserving of consideration for the Hart Memorial Trophy. He is arguably the best player in the world right now.
Malkin is trying to become the fourth Penguin to win the prestigious NHL award: Mario Lemieux (1988, '93, '96), Jaromir Jagr (1999) and Sidney Crosby (2007).

Evgeni Malkin of Pittsburgh Penguins is outscoring his nearest pursuer, Sidney Crosby, by 11 points. If Malkin can keep the pace, he'll have a 26 point lead by the end of the season. This would be the third-best result in the last 20 years (after Gretzky's 32 points lead in 1991 and Lemieux's 31 in 1988).
Find out what are the top 10 leads in the scoring race during last 20 years.

When it comes to stellar performances in the face of a daunting deficit, the real comeback kid is Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin.
In this, the year of the comeback in the NHL, no one has been better at chipping away at a lead when the chips are down.

No one can dispute that Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby are two awe-inspiring hockey players.
But with all the accolades and accomplishments the two are still missing something – a catchy nickname.

New event to spice up the tired old NHL All-Star Skills competition: Russian Roulette, featuring Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin.
It wouldn't be complicated. Malkin would stand by the end boards. Ovechkin would race at him 100 mph and try to put him through the glass.
You know, just like in the real games.