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If you have enough patience, you will find Denis Malgin (26) in the NL scorers list. In 35th place, far behind expectations. Because they were huge when the ZSC Lions brought back the center.
The memories of the dominance Oltner showed before his second NHL guest appearance with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Colorado Avalanche in the National League and in the Nati were still fresh. In the 2022 play-offs, Malgin led the Lions within touching distance of the championship title with nine goals and assists each before the Zurich team lost a 3–0 lead in the final against Zug. He then shone at the World Cup.
Before the start of the season, ZSC coach Marc Crawford, under whom Malgin once broke through as a teenager, was enthusiastic: “I think he will become one of the best players in the league. He is like an extra foreigner for us.”
“It wouldn’t be exciting if it were that easy”
But Malgin hasn’t gotten into the swing of things Zurich fans expected. Performances or solos like the one he scored in Ambri are a rarity. And every now and then he loses the puck, with all the consequences that entails.
Malgin himself is not bothered by critical voices. “If you are – and I don’t want this to sound arrogant – you are one of the best, you are expected to be one of the best every night. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t,” he says and adds. «It’s sports. It wouldn’t be exciting if it were that easy.”
Of course he wants to perform even better, he says. “But I think that will happen. I always want to be the best on the ice. I always give it my all, but sometimes it doesn’t work out.”
After returning from the NHL, where he scored 13 goals and 8 assists in 62 games last season, he also needed some time to get used to the changed situation.
You may also wonder whether the bar is not set a bit high for Malgin after his heroics in the spring of 2022. But the Nati striker is not someone who needs to hide. “It’s nice to be remembered,” he says, laughing. “I would also like to score a goal in every match. But that doesn’t always work.” And: “Pressure is a beautiful thing. It’s like an award when people expect a lot from you.”
Is it possible that Malgin sometimes wants too much? He says no and says, “I’m just playing.”
Crawford: “Nobody is happy”
Malgin also sees something positive about the fact that the Lions are no longer a one-man show. “We haven’t had a bad start to the season. Everyone on the team could score goals. We delivered a good team performance, without anyone standing out all the time. That is also super important.”
Is coach Marc Crawford happy with his protégé? “Nobody is happy with how we’ve been playing lately. We know we have to play better. And Denis is part of that. No more and no less than the other players on the team. When he plays at his top level, he can make a difference. That is what we and Denis strive for.”
The Canadian does not want to measure his star only by spectacle and goals. “I was always impressed with how well he can read the game without the puck. If he wants to, he can be the best player in the league defensively,” he says, adding with a laugh: “Of course we want him to be the best player offensively. But not many offensive players have a hockey IQ like Denis. We want him to commit to playing all over the field. If he does that, we will have one of the best centers in the league.”
A few weeks ago, Malgin and his wife Emelie became parents of a son. “It’s a change. “But it’s really fun,” says the young father, allaying concerns that he won’t be able to catch a crush. “You let me sleep,” he says.
|
team
|
SP
|
T.D
|
PT
|
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
 HC Friborg-Gottéron
|
25
|
16
|
47
|
|
|
2
|
 EV train
|
23
|
33
|
46
|
|
|
3
|
 ZSC Lions
|
22
|
26
|
43
|
|
|
4
|
 HC Ambri-Piotta
|
22
|
13
|
38
|
|
|
5
|
 HC Lugano
|
23
|
7
|
38
|
|
|
6
|
 Lausanne HC
|
24
|
4
|
38
|
|
|
7
|
 SC Bern
|
23
|
0
|
37
|
|
|
8th
|
 Geneva-Servette HC
|
22
|
-5
|
34
|
|
|
9
|
 HC Davos
|
23
|
6
|
34
|
|
|
10
|
 SCL Tigers
|
23
|
-22
|
32
|
|
|
11
|
 SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers
|
22
|
-8th
|
27
|
|
|
12
|
 EHC Biel
|
22
|
-15
|
25
|
|
|
13
|
 EHC Kloten
|
23
|
-27
|
21
|
|
|
14
|
 HC Ajoie
|
21
|
-28
|
17
|
Source : Blick
I’m Emma Jack, a news website author at 24 News Reporters. I have been in the industry for over five years and it has been an incredible journey so far. I specialize in sports reporting and am highly knowledgeable about the latest trends and developments in this field.
