from Dejan Kovacevici of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review,

You know the numbers: Malkin has three goals in 21 games, none in his past 14 games for the longest such slump of his career. There's no question he's still done good things, not least of which are the 17 assists that rank fourth in the NHL. But it remains beyond reason, beyond justification that a scorer of this caliber could go more than a month without so much as a cheesy empty-netter.

He knows it, too.

“I'm happy, of course, when the team wins and when I can make a pass to Gibby for a goal,” Malkin continued in our talk. “But I know I have to score. I know I have to shoot more.”

He hesitated.

“Sometimes, like in this game, I see Kuny or Nealer and want to pass to them because they're open,” he said, referring to Chris Kunitz and James Neal, “but I know I have good chances to shoot the puck.”

Right down the high slot, too, I interjected. Twice on Monday between the Ducks' hash marks, countless times over the season.

“Yes, I know. And I know I have to shoot.”

At least that much appears to be clear.

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