#i'm surprised 2004 still scored that many wins

[six-paths-of-jeanmarco]

Eurovision 2004 vs 2005

Albania: The Image of You vs Tomorrow I Go Andorra: Jugarem a estimar-nos vs La mirada interior Austria: Du bist vs Y asi Belarus: My Galileo vs Love Me Tonight Belgium: 1 Life vs Le Grand soir Bosnia and Herzegovina: In the Disco vs Call Me Bulgaria: Lorraine Croatia: You Are the Only One vs Vukovi umiru sami Cyprus: Stronger Every Minute vs Ela Ela Denmark: Shame on You vs Talking to You Estonia: Tii vs Lets Get Loud Finland: Takes 2 to Tango vs Why France: À chaque pas vs Chacun pense à soi Germany: Can't Wait Until Tonight vs Run & Hide Greece: Shake It vs My Number One Hungary: Forogj, világ Iceland: Heaven vs If I Had Your Love Ireland: If My World Stopped Turning vs Love? Israel: Leha'amin vs HaSheket SheNish'ar Latvia: Dziesma par laimi vs The War Is Not Over Lithuania: What's Happened to Your Love vs Little by Little Malta: On Again... Off Again vs Angel Monaco: Notre planète vs Tout de moi (Europe had no right to treat them so badly in 2005) Moldova: Boonika bate toba Netherlands: Without You vs My Impossible Dream North Macedonia: Life vs Make My Day Norway: High vs In My Dreams Poland: Love Song vs Czarna dziewczyna Portugal: Foi magia vs Amar Romania: I Admit vs Let Me Try Russia: Believe Me vs Nobody Hurt No One Serbia and Montenegro: Lane moje vs Zauvijek moja Slovenia: Stay Forever vs Stop Spain: Para llenarme de ti vs Brujería Sweden: It Hurts vs Las Vegas Switzerland: Celebrate vs Cool Vibes Türkiye: For Real vs Rimi Rimi Ley Ukraine: Wild Dances vs Razom nas bahato United Kingdom: Hold On to Our Love vs Touch My Fire

2004: 16 vs 2005: 20

[hunterrrs]

Evgeni Malkin said he's always felt slightly overlooked.

One of the premier centers of his generation, the 37-year-old has played his NHL career as the second center on the Pittsburgh Penguins behind longtime teammate Sidney Crosby. He was the No. 2 pick in the 2004 NHL Draft. Alex Ovechkin, possibly the only Russia-born player more statistically accomplished, went No. 1 to the Washington Capitals.

Malkin doesn't mind. Actually, it's just the way he likes it.

"I'm not the kind of guy that wants media around me. I like to be quiet a little bit," Malkin said. "I want to just play the game. Probably, people want, like, my private life a little bit more. But I'm, like, a little bit closed.

"Maybe my English is not good before, not talk too much with media. Again, this is kind of myself. I'm OK with that because I know I'm a good player."

Numbers do talk, though. In his 18th season, Malkin is third in Penguins history with 1,261 points, 485 goals and 776 assists, trailing Mario Lemieux (1,723 points; 690 goals, 1,033 assists) and Crosby (1,540 points; 571 goals, 969 assists).

Ovechkin reached out after Malkin eclipsed Fedorov.

"He's a star in the League," Ovechkin said. "I think he's a tremendous player. He knows how to win. He knows how to play. It's not a surprise he has so many points, so many goals and assists."

"People are talking about Ovi a lot. They talk about (Connor) McDavid. They talk about (Nathan) MacKinnon," Letang said. "You don't hear Geno's name a lot. What he's been able to do in this league for that long and at this age still, being the goal scorer that he is, it's just special.

"I think it's always been (that way), except maybe the year he won the Hart and everything. I think it's always been a little bit like that. He's not seen to his true color."

Without Malkin, Crosby said his NHL career would have been more difficult. That pair, along with Letang, has won the Stanley Cup three times (2009, 2016, 2017). They qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 16 consecutive seasons together before missing them last season.

"There are nights where you don't feel great or have your best," Crosby said. "You're watching Geno do his thing out there. That's happened a lot. I think we've pushed each other over the years, but he's a guy that has always stepped up when he needs to. I think that's just the competitive nature in him.

"I think the consistency is the biggest thing. You don't have that kind of consistency without being as competitive as he is. He's been amazing for a lot of years. The stats show it."

"I think the biggest thing for me that I admire about Geno is how competitive he is," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "Just his competitive spirit is off the charts. His will to win, his want to win, and his will and want to score and produce offense. I don't think anyone likes scoring goals more than 'G.' You can see it in his raw emotion when he scores.

"Sometimes, I don't think Geno gets the credit that he deserves in the hockey world for the body of work that he's put together in this league and how talented he is. He's without a doubt one of the greatest players of all-time."

love a good geno lovefest