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

[bobholly39]

To be honest there are only a handful of players in the league I would take for one SC final game 7 over Matthews. McD, Mack, Leon, Makar, Kucherov…that’s probably it, maybe Shesterkin or Hellebyuck if we’re including goalies. Definitely not 38 year old Malkin.

I voted Matthews. but I don't think quite as highly of him for playoffs. Only 5 players ahead?

His playoff reputation hurts him a lot.

I'd say there's probably a good ~10-15 players I'd pick before him for a game 7 (not even counting goalies). Especially if we're choosing this blind - if we were choosing this after game 6 of the stanley cup finals, in a playoff run where Matthews is finally playing to his potential - maybe your assessment is closer.

 

[Caps8112]

Think this should be Matthews and I voted for him. If he is in game 7 of the finals today he has obviously figured out playoff hockey and is likely on a conn smythe type run carrying the leafs as he should. While Malkin today is still amazing I doubt that if he is in game 7 of the finals today he is carrying the pens. At his age, no matter how unfair he probably is more of a contributor then a game breaker.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

The fact that Malkin in his prime years could be absolutely dominated by the Bruins in the 2013 ECF should be enough to disprove that he's some unstoppable force in the playoffs. If people think the guy that got shut down back then is somehow a better option more than 10 years later in his late 30's than a guy who just put up 69 goals last season and is in his prime I just don't know what to say.

He's lead the playoffs twice in scoring. How many players in history have done that?

 

[Ignatius]

Malkin would likely get up for that game and when Geno is on, even at 38, I would not want to be the team opposing his team.

I love AM34 but 71 has the track record.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Not trolling leaf fans here but I think Matthews has gotten to the 2nd round once in his career and Malkin 3 times to the final and has played 20+ playoffs games in 4 different playoffs. Malkin 177 playofff games vs Matthews 55.

Geno is a just a little below a ppg player this year with 22 pts in 25 games.

Whether we like it or not, come playoff time you go with experience and with the guys who have won


I think a Geno vs McDAvid one could be a fun debate

Good points, just wanted to add that Malkin has been to the Final a total of four times, not three.

 

[Coffey]

lmao if I was a Leafs fan I'd be shaking my head at the results

 

[Connor McConnor]

I initial read this as finals - as in, full 7 game finals. For that I voted Matthews pretty easily. He's simply younger/better, and over 7 games the difference will show. Malkin has also slowed down a lot (Crosby i'd still choose first, for example).

For 1 game only, it's a bit closer. I think I'll stick to Matthews though.

Logically - if Matthews makes it to game 7 of a finals, it's that he's having a good playoff run. Thats enough for me.



I disagree with you.

I voted Matthews - but you seem to imply people here are lying, and not true. Malkin has a tremendous playoff reputation, and Matthews (and Leafs) is the exact opposite. I don't find the results surprising - if anyting, it's close to 50/50, and I would have guessed Malkin would be ahead.

Malkin is 38. AM is supposedly in his prime. Either AM is not even a top 10 player in the league and overrated or people are delusional. I get the history here, but I would still have more faith that a guy as good as AM could turn it around rather than putting my eggs in a 38 year old who is not even close to the same level player that people are voting for here bringing up his "playoff resume".

 

[jetsforever]

Matthews at this point

 

[wetcoast]

Malkin is 38. AM is supposedly in his prime. Either AM is not even a top 10 player in the league and overrated or people are delusional. I get the history here, but I would still have more faith that a guy as good as AM could turn it around rather than putting my eggs in a 38 year old who is not even close to the same level player that people are voting for here bringing up his "playoff resume".

Some people have problems reading and others simply hate the Leafs as one isn't.getting past Malkin....really how hard is this?

 

[JaegerDice]

Today, at their current ages?

Matthews. The performance ceiling is simply higher.

Yes, Malkin has ‘done it before’, but he was much younger and more impactful at the time.

Could Matthews **** the bed? Sure. But Ill take the higher ceiling.

 

[Shane Diesel]

Matthews has been in the playoffs eight times and managed to record a point per game or better thrice.

Dude folds when the stakes are highest.

 

[SkinsFan09]

I answered as if it was both in their primes in which case it's Malkin pretty easily. As they are at their current ages, Matthews by a mile.

 

[TD Charlie]

Matthews. But i wouldn’t feel good about it.

 

[heretik27]

He's lead the playoffs twice in scoring. How many players in history have done that?

Yeah, nobody is saying he didn't accomplish those things. We're simply saying he accomplished those feats what would be over 8 years ago. I'm making the assumption that "both healthy" simply means they're currently healthy and their injury histories are still known to us at the present. ie) Malkin and Matthews have still experienced every health issue to date, but would be relatively healthy for a game 7 SCF game this season. This is because we wouldn't know how a healthy Malkin would have aged without his history of injuries.

So with that being said, yeah I'm choosing the guy that's not 38 years old because his competition is a guy who lit the league up last season and is still in his prime years. We're not comparing Tanner Glass here to Malkin, Matthews is a legit top center in the league.

 

[dirtydanglez]

matthews. malkin is old bones.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

Yeah, nobody is saying he didn't accomplish those things. We're simply saying he accomplished those feats what would be over 8 years ago. I'm making the assumption that "both healthy" simply means they're currently healthy and their injury histories are still known to us at the present. ie) Malkin and Matthews have still experienced every health issue to date, but would be relatively healthy for a game 7 SCF game this season. This is because we wouldn't know how a healthy Malkin would have aged without his history of injuries.

So with that being said, yeah I'm choosing the guy that's not 38 years old because his competition is a guy who lit the league up last season and is still in his prime years. We're not comparing Tanner Glass here to Malkin, Matthews is a legit top center in the league.

I mean you brought up 2013 which is also irrelevant.

 

[heretik27]

I mean you brought up 2013 which is also irrelevant.

As a response to any assumption that just because Malkin lead the playoffs in scoring twice that he couldn't be shut down just the same as any other player in today's league.

 

[geebster]

There aren't a lot of star centers I wouldn't take over Matthews in a do or die game 7. He disappears in crazy ways (no goals, averages 3 shots/game in game 7s). But Malkin is 38. He can't play the full 200 ft game Matthews will bring and while I trust him more to finish under pressure or be clutch, that isn't worth all the little things Matthews will bring.

If it was prime vs prime its Malkin of course. Heck if it was prime Matthews vs 33 or 34 year old Malkin it's Malkin. But this has to be Matthews.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

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.

And Matthews has 48 in 55 career-wise...

 

[Regal]

And Matthews has 48 in 55 career-wise...

And? Old Malkin would have to be way better in the playoffs to justify taking him, but he’s not that player anymore.

 

[Goptor]

You should have probably made it first round game 7 instead of cup finals.

Your "Matthews is a choker" thread misses the point if he's getting his team to game 7 of the finals.

 

[olli]

These results are hilarious. But to be fair, the poll in general invited these sort of results and id bet my life savings if gun to head 90% of the people voting Malkin would take AM

Yes

 

[olli]

The anti leafs narrative on this site is wild. Of course Matthews has never been the playoff performer that Malkin was 7+ years ago but we’re talking about a 27 year old who’s the best goalscorer in the world coming off a 69 goal season vs a 38 year old who has 89 points in his last 108 games.

 

[Caps8112]

I answered as if it was both in their primes in which case it's Malkin pretty easily. As they are at their current ages, Matthews by a mile.

lol then you have skewed the poll. Wonder how many others are voting this way. Yes, prime malkin would get all of the votes. 38 year old Malkin versus 69 goal scorer Matthews should not be winning this.

 

[authentic]

The anti leafs narrative on this site is wild. Of course Matthews has never been the playoff performer that Malkin was 7+ years ago but we’re talking about a 27 year old who’s the best goalscorer in the world coming off a 69 goal season vs a 38 year old who has 89 points in his last 108 games.

Who is also far better defensively and has shown this in the playoffs as well despite the Leafs not advancing. It’s wild that people truly believe he hasn’t “figured out how to play playoff hockey yet”. He had 9 goals and 18 points combined in both Tampa series (more than any Tampa player both rounds) and had games that went to OT in their 2nd meeting where Tampa didn’t record 1 single shot the entire game while he was on the ice.

I call upon pcruz to dig up these stats again, because this Matthews dominates just about any center in the world head to head besides a playoff hero mode McDavid/Drai or MacKinnon backed by Makar.