Game 7 Stanley Cup Finals: Both healthy, who are you taking today - Matthews or Malkin

[benfranklin]

Both healthy in 2025, you can take one player for the final game that matters.

Matthews - 27YO
Malkin - 38YO

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[JPT]

I'm taking the guy who has been there before multiple times. Age doesn't matter in a single game, and Malkin is still scoring anyway.

 

[x Tame Impala]

If the Leafs made it to game 7 of the finals that would mean Matthews is most likely finally playing like a superstar in the playoffs. If that’s the case he’s one of the best players in the world and is easily take him over Malkin at this stage in his career

 

[Regal]

Ridiculous results. Matthews is a considerably better player in 2024. And Malkin hasn’t done anything of note in the playoffs since 2017. He has 23 points in his last 28 games in the playoffs.

 

[Byron Bitz]

I'm taking the guy who has been there before multiple times. Age doesn't matter in a single game, and Malkin is still scoring anyway.

I disagree that age doesn’t matter in a single game. Hes a different player than he was back then whether it’s one game or 82. Il take Jagr over Matthews for one game 7 if age doesn’t matter for one game.

 

[JPT]

I disagree that age doesn’t matter in a single game. Hes a different player than he was back then whether it’s one game or 82. Il take Jagr over Matthews for one game 7 if age doesn’t matter for one game.

If anything, Malkin's age is a benefit for the single game in question.

 

[McPoyle]

Matthews is a much better player in 2024. So him.

 

[BallardEra]

I'm taking the guy who has been there before multiple times. Age doesn't matter in a single game, and Malkin is still scoring anyway.

He has 5 goals and on pace for 16 this season and bleeding chances at this stage of his career during 5 on 5 play.

 

[sr edler]

Malkin mostly scores against bottom feeders nowadays. But to be fair, so does Matthews. There was a stat from some season ago where Matthews had 6 hat-tricks on the season, but none of them against a playoff team.

 

[Regal]

He has 5 goals and on pace for 16 this season and bleeding chances at this stage of his career during 5 on 5 play.

And after his hot start he has 11 points in his last 20 games. I love Malkin, and I could see taking Malkin into his early 30s here, but the probability of late 30s Malkin taking over a game 7 is pretty low.

 

[Regal]

Malkin mostly scores against bottom feeders nowadays. But to be fair, so does Matthews. There was a stat from some season ago where Matthews had 6 hat-tricks on the season, but none of them against a playoff team.

Matthews’ stats against top teams are lower but still would be Richard level.

Last year he had a line of 40-26-19-45 against playoff teams.

In 21-22 though he had a line of 34-28-22-50.

 

[Video Nasty]

Ridiculous results. Matthews is a considerably better player in 2024. And Malkin hasn’t done anything of note in the playoffs since 2017. He has 23 points in his last 28 games in the playoffs.

Since your cut off point for Malkin, Matthews has 43 points in his last 49 games in the playoffs, which is only a 6.9% higher PPG. The difference is, Malkin was ages 31-35 and Matthews was 20-26.

So according to your definition, Matthews also hasn’t done anything of note in the playoffs…ever.

 

[Regal]

Since your cut off point for Malkin, Matthews has 43 points in his last 49 games in the playoffs, which is only a 6.9% higher PPG. The difference is, Malkin was ages 31-35 and Matthews was 20-26.

So according to your definition, Matthews also hasn’t done anything of note in the playoffs…ever.

The point is that the only reason to take the clearly inferior regular season player would be if there’s some kind of playoff disparity. But elite playoff Malkin is a distant memory. You could maybe justify it for a couple years after the last cup, but at this point what’s the argument for Malkin? It’s like when people would say they’d take a then 34 yo Crosby over McDavid for the playoffs back before the 2022 run.

 

[authentic]

Ridiculous results. Matthews is a considerably better player in 2024. And Malkin hasn’t done anything of note in the playoffs since 2017. He has 23 points in his last 28 games in the playoffs.

Also I don’t believe this board wants to entertain how good Matthews has been in the playoffs defensively despite his team not advancing, and he has had very dominant overall series recently where he scored more than every Tampa player both times while being a two-way beast. That Matthews is coming out on top against just about anyone in the NHL, let alone against a 38 year old Malkin.

Since your cut off point for Malkin, Matthews has 43 points in his last 49 games in the playoffs, which is only a 6.9% higher PPG. The difference is, Malkin was ages 31-35 and Matthews was 20-26.

So according to your definition, Matthews also hasn’t done anything of note in the playoffs…ever.

Did you watch Matthews against Tampa? He slaughters any recent play by Malkin and likely even more so now that Malkin is inching closer towards 40.

 

[authentic]

Malkin mostly scores against bottom feeders nowadays. But to be fair, so does Matthews. There was a stat from some season ago where Matthews had 6 hat-tricks on the season, but none of them against a playoff team.

4 goals in 6 games against Washington as a rookie. 5 goals in 7 games against Boston, often matched up against Bergeron. 9 goals and 18 points against Tampa in 13 games.

Elite teams and elite goalies such as Holtby, Rask and Vasilevskiy.

 

[Regal]

Also I don’t believe this board wants to entertain how good Matthews has been in the playoffs defensively despite his team not advancing, and he has had very dominant overall series recently where he scored more than every Tampa player both times while being a two-way beast. That Matthews is coming out on top against just about anyone in the NHL, let alone against a 38 year old Malkin.



Did you watch Matthews against Tampa? He slaughters any recent play by Malkin and likely even more so now that Malkin is inching closer towards 40.

Yea, and I know Matthews’ defense can be a contentious issue on here, but regardless of whether people think he’s Selke-worthy, he’s still considerably better than current Malkin.

 

[VistamarCroissants]

Malkin because of vast experience