The Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals are bitter rivals out on the ice, but that doesn’t mean the Russian players on the opposing lineups have ill feelings towards one another. In fact, one member of the Penguins would like to see a certain Capitals star lift the Stanley Cup.
While traveling with the Stanley Cup, Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin opened up about his stretch of luck while commenting on Alex Ovechkin and how he feels bad for the Capitals captain.
Evgeni Malkin: 'I was a little bit luckier than Ovi that's why I won those Cups. He has everything ahead of him. I wish him to win the Cup'
— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) July 27, 2017
That’s a pretty powerful statement from Malkin. It’s not often you see a player on an opposing squad wish for another player to win the Cup. Maybe players feel a bit more generous after winning two Cups in two seasons?
There’s no doubt that luck does play a factor in hockey, but the Penguins’ back-to-back titles are beyond impressive and require a ton of skill to pull off. Though there’s no denying that Ovechkin and his Capitals teammates may be a bit unfortunate to bow out of the playoffs so consistently, the difference in attitude and skill between the Penguins and Capitals in the playoffs is pretty noticeable and can’t be chalked up entirely to luck.
Malkin went on to talk about the fact he wasn’t named one of the league’s 100 best players (which is pretty ridiculous), but he seems to be pretty accepting of his omission thanks to a couple recent Cup victories.
Malkin: I was a little bit disappointed when I wasn't included in the list of 100 greatest NHL players but I won the Cup and am happy #Pens
— Igor Eronko (@IgorEronko) July 27, 2017
Winning the Stanley Cup trumps just about everything.
