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PITTSBURGH — Ryan Malone has never been more content.
The heavily tattooed Pittsburgh Penguins forward, the only player in franchise history to be raised in Steeltown, was married last summer to his long-time sweetheart, Abby, and she gave birth to the couple's first child, William, on Feb. 8.
Now Malone, in his fourth NHL season wearing Penguins sweater No. 12, the same number his father Greg donned when he played for Pittsburgh in the 1970s and 1980s, has advanced to his first Stanley Cup final.
Ryan scored two power-play goals and set up linemate Evgeni Malkin's first-period goal in the Penguins' decisive 6-0 victory on Sunday to eliminate the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL's Eastern Conference final in five games.
Ryan Malone of the Pittsburgh Penguins is congratulated by teammates after scoring a power-play goal at 2:30 of the first period during Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. (Getty Images)
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“I think everyone dreamt about it as a hockey player, to get a chance now to battle for the best prize there is out there,” Ryan said.
“So it's going to be fun. I think we're all excited to get going.”
Ryan, 28, grew up imagining he would score big goals for his beloved Penguins, whether in his driveway playing street hockey with his younger brother, Mark, or taking to the ice after Penguins practices, skating with players such as Ron Francis, Jaromir Jagr or the kids of former Pittsburgh general manager Craig Patrick.
After Greg's 11-season NHL career ended, he became a scout for the Penguins. But when Ray Shero replaced Patrick as GM, he let go the scouting staff, including Greg, who now is a pro scout for the Phoenix Coyotes.
Greg was in Phoenix for meetings when his son clinched a trip to the Stanley Cup final on Sunday.
“We watched both the Penguins-Flyers game as well as the [world championship] Canada-Russia game,” said Greg, a native of Miramichi, N.B.
“We'd watch a period and then meet, watch a period and then meet again.
“It's hard to explain my emotions. I'm excited, but there also is anxiety. But then you talk to other people in my profession and you feel so proud of what has happened.”
Greg doesn't know if he'll attend any games in the next round. He may have a few friends visiting Phoenix from the Maritimes.
“I'm a conservative person,” Greg said. “I don't want to put the cart before the horse. It's important at this time not to get too ahead of ourselves and try to keep this week as ordinary as possible. Then maybe later we can sit back and enjoy a fine bottle of wine.”
Greg has kept in touch with his son daily with encouraging words by text message. Ryan has some nice words for his father, too, paying tribute to the work he and Patrick did in helping build the current roster.
“I think of four years ago where we were and Craig was rebuilding the team,” Ryan said, recalling that in his rookie season in 2003-04, the Penguins finished last overall. “[Patrick] did a great job. Ray came in and added the extra pieces. The fans have been patient. And I think, so far so good.”
The Penguins are making their first visit to the Stanley Cup final since Mario Lemieux steered them to back-to-back championships in 1991 and 1992. Greg was 12 then, but it's the following spring that he remembers, when New York Islanders forward David Volek scored in triple overtime to oust the Penguins in a seventh-game showdown in the second round.
“I think it was '93 when the Islanders came in on a 2-on-1 and [Volek] buried it,” Greg said when asked what he remembers about the Penguins' glory days. “It would have been the three-peat everyone was hoping for. I remember the other Cups as well, but for whatever reason, the last one sticks out in my mind, and now to be part of the team.”
But how much longer will Ryan be in Pittsburgh? He is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and is coming off his best season, with 27 goals and 51 points in 77 games. In the playoffs, he has six goals and 15 points in 14 games.
But before that decision is made, there is plenty of hockey to be played in a Penguins sweater and his next game with be his 20th Stanley Cup playoff game, which will match his father's total two decades ago.
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