Evgeni Malkin's Stick: The P71 – a P88 With a Toe Hook
Evgeni Malkin's Stick: The P71 – a P88 With a Toe Hook
Evgeni Malkin is 1.91 m tall, weighs over 90 kilos – and still plays one of the lightest sticks Bauer has ever built. We had it in our hands, and the blade on it is worth a look for anyone playing a P88.
Specs
- Model: Bauer Vapor ADV (355 g)
- Flex: 87
- Curve: P71 – sold as the “Malkin Pro”
- Shot: Left
- Spec code: 10010-O · BGP2B
BGP2B is the factory code for the Bauer Vapor ADV in its 355-gram build – Bauer's ultralight model. Notable, because big, powerful centres traditionally reach for heavier, stiffer builds. Malkin does the opposite.
The flex fits the same picture: 87 is fairly moderate for a player of his size. For comparison – Leon Draisaitl, similarly built, plays 100. Malkin leans more on loading the shaft quickly than on raw stiffness.
The Curve: P71, the “Malkin Pro”
This is where it gets relevant for a lot of players. The P71 gets described in one sentence that's worth remembering:
The how matters here. Unlike a P28, where the curvature builds gradually toward the tip, the P71 stays calm for a long stretch and then takes a relatively abrupt kick. The toe also ends up more closed than on a P28.
In practice that means you keep the backhand, the pass reception and the control of a P88 – while gaining extra help at the tip for quick releases and lifting the puck. If you play a P88 and want more bite on your shot, this is the logical next step.
Evgeny Kuznetsov and Jack Hughes play the same curve, incidentally.
A Pattern That Keeps Repeating
Malkin's P71 is the second example in short order of a pro curve built on top of the P88. With Kane's real stick it runs similarly – except Kane's blade doesn't descend from the P88 at all, despite carrying its name at retail.
It shows nicely how pro blades come about: take a proven base shape and change exactly the one detail the player is missing. For Malkin, that's the toe.
Grip and Tape Job
The butt end carries a compact, black-taped knob with a light cap – restrained, without the oversized knobs you see on some players.
The Player
Evgeni Malkin, born in 1986 in Magnitogorsk, was drafted second overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2004. Three Stanley Cups, a Hart Trophy, a Conn Smythe Trophy and two Art Ross Trophies – he's one of the few players to have won essentially every major individual award in the league. His game lives on reach, puck protection and a wrist shot that arrives from positions most players wouldn't even shoot from.
Not sure which curve fits your game? Take our 2-minute stick finder and find your model.
