Malkin: "I hit back. I say, 'I'm sorry."

 By Shelly Anderson, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Jan. 19, 2008:

Before everyone starts to think the leading scorer in the NHL is turning into a thug, know that Penguins center Evgeni Malkin didn't mean to clobber New York Rangers winger Nikolai Zherdev behind the Rangers' net in the second period yesterday at Mellon Arena.

It was both a case of mistaken identity and a bigger hit than Malkin intended to make.

"No, I'm not looking for Zherdev," Malkin said after the Penguins' 3-0 victory. "I think it's [center Scott] Gomez; Zherdev is my friend. It was a bad hit. I did not see who [it was] and just [hit him] a little bit with my arm. I think it's Gomez."

In the second period, Zherdev knocked Malkin down, and Malkin retaliated, drawing a cross-checking penalty. But even then, Malkin said, he wasn't trying to express any anger.

"I hit back," he said. "I say, 'I'm sorry.'"

Question from a previous post: hey, i was just wondering since you follow russian hockey and players more than i do, do you know if the russian players have a problem with malkin. i am just wondering this because i watched the pens v. rangers game, and malkin took a run at zherdev and then zherdev looked and returned the favor. the commentators even mentioned if the russian players have a problem with malkin.

i know he comes across nice in the very few english interviews he does. but i have read a few of his translated russian interviews and he definitely seems a bit more cocky and a-holey like. for example, someone asked him a question about alex, and he said while laughing "you mean alex the great"?

he just seems to have a bit of an attitude that i think the russian guys might know of, and that us Americans dont see because of his lack of communication.

just wondering if you knew anything further because i am curious. :)

A.: Malkin is a meanie. That is what separates him and Ovechkin and that's why other hockey players like Ovechkin even when he runs around like a freight train. All Ovechkin hits are clean, the famous hit on Briere was close to the boards, but it was directed parallel to the boards. I think Danny dived there a bit too.

On his first visit to Washignton Malkin elbowed Shaone Morrisonn in a manner Ovechkin would never do. He put his elbow up, right in the face of Shaone who obviously didn't expect that.

He had a dirty hit on Ovechkin from behind because he knows he can't do it cleanly against Ovie, when Ovie sees him coming.

When Malkin boarded Semin no question it was not an accident. What did he do after? He apologized, "I say, 'I'm sorry.'".

If Ovechkin hits, he doesn't have to apologize unless it was accidental like with Jammie Heward. As of Malkin, he will run out of excuses pretty soon.

J.P.:

That’s why we call him “Elbows” Malkin. Filthy guy, he is.