Somewhere around the middle of last season, or the end, Rangers fans started booing Marek Malik. For awhile, I actually agreed with these fans. I mean the guys 6'6", doesn't hit, is amazingly slow, and had an odd knock for goals going into our own net off of his stick. But, when you analyze his play more, he really does not deserve the harsh treatment he's been getting.
In his last 4 seasons, Malik has a combined plus/minus of +118. For two of those seasons, Malik was a member of the Rangers. During those two seasons Malik went +60. Now, while I think plus/minus is a somewhat bogus stat, to play down a +118 is like playing down the fact that a guy scored 40 goals because he had 25 minutes of ice time a game. Either way, he still scored 40 goals. And, either way, Malik has somehow managed to be on the ice for A LOT more goals for than goals against.
Now if you're a Ranger fan (one that hates Malik) you're probably thinking to yourself, 'Well being on Jagr's favored defensive pair sure helped him'. Somewhat true. But you've got to give the guy credit. Take a look at this website:
Malik's stats there do all the talking. Look at Rank #19 and then #161, Malik's defensive partner. Now, for most of the year, these two were on the same line. Malik was injured though, and missed 13 games. I can't say whether most of that differential comes from that 13 game differential or not, but it's likely that a decent amount of it did. Malik, with the help of Roszival, created the Rangers best defensive pair last year. Sure the occaisonal goal DID deflect off of his stick into the net, but he was easily the most steady defenseman.
This year, on opening night, when announcing the rosters, Marek Malik's name was met with a harsh chorus of "Boo's". He went on to record 3 assists. He received a decent amount of cheers when announced as a star of the game, which made me think that maybe, just maybe, Ranger fans would come around. But it was not to be. This time it actually was his fault. He played bad enough to receive a benching from Tom Renney. Since back though, he's played fantastically. In 5 games the only goal against he's been on the ice for was the Penguins powerplay goal where he kept Malkin's stick from moving in the slightest but Whitney's pass had so much power that it just deflected off of it and in. Malkin himself said that Lundqvist should have stopped that shot and that Malik defended him perfectly. He was also on, if you can count it, for Lecavalier's penalty shot goal as the victim of the "hook" that led to the penalty shot.
Earlier I mentioned the small facts that the guy is 6'6", doesn't hit, is very slow, and has the odd knack for having pucks go in the wrong net off of his own stick. The latter can't be helped. But, what he lacks in hitting ability and speed, he makes up for with great positioning. And while it looks like he's lumbering along with that big 6'6" frame, he's really not. But the more fickle Ranger fans look at Malik and think that he should be crushing people into the boards with his size. When he doesn't, booing seems to ensue.
Yet the boo's still rain on, and I'm at a loss as for why. Is it because Ranger fans are so bitter that they need to hate at least one member of their team at all times? When this poor guy makes a mistake, Ranger fans catch it and boo the guy mercilessly for it. When, say, Marc Staal makes a mistake, they just gloss right over it. I've always thought Ranger fans were fairly intelligent, but when I hear fans telling Malik to "get off the ice and go kill himself" I seriously start to question this assessment. I've always been of the idea that, as a fan, you should cheer your team, the entire team, regardless of like or dislike. It honestly disgusts me to be a Ranger fan when I hear boos, or worse yet people telling Malik to kill himself whenever he has possession of the puck.
I should probably start talking about things other than the Rangers, but sometimes Ranger fans really do annoy me.
