from Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette,

How could it be?

Sidney Crosby went into the Penguins' game Wednesday night against the Philadelphia Flyers without a goal in seven games. Evgeni Malkin hadn't scored one in 10.

How could it be that the two stars failed to shine for so long?

The Penguins are paying big, big money to Crosby and Malkin to deliver so much more. Crosby did get a goal against the Flyers -- his first point in three games -- but it wasn't enough in a 2-1 loss to a team that should have been overmatched after coming in with a 6-10-1 record and playing Tuesday night in Ottawa. It was the ninth time in 10 games the supremely talented Penguins failed to score more than three goals. They went 4-6 in those 10, losing the past three. They had just one power-play goal and no five-on-five goals in each of those three losses.

Crosby and Malkin are too talented to have this kind of slump. We saw their amazing skill Wednesday night midway through the second period. Malkin, with the puck along the right boards and the Penguins on the power play, spotted Crosby in front alone behind Flyers defenseman Nicklas Grossmann. In an instant, the puck was on Crosby's stick and, in another blink, it was behind goaltender Ray Emery. It was a marvelous goal.

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