PITTSBURGH — When Michel Therrien and his Pittsburgh Penguins coaching staff were sorting out the rooming assignments for their players at the beginning of the NHL season, one of the easier decisions was to put Maxime Talbot with developing star Evgeni Malkin.
Malkin is a shy Russian, still finding his way in his new environs, while Talbot is a loquacious bilingual French Canadian, who gives off nothing but positive vibes. Therrien was hoping Talbot would bring Malkin out of his shell.
“I take great pride in being able to take under my wing one of the greatest players in the game,” said the thoughtful Talbot, who scored the winner in the Penguins' 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. The Pens lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final series 2-0.
“He roomed with Sergei [Gonchar] last year, so Sergei could be his translator. But he needed to learn some English this year, and I do a lot of talking.”
The faith that Therrien exhibited in Talbot certainly paid off as Malkin enjoyed a breakout year (82 games, 47 goals and 59 assists).
Interestingly, the good will continued on Sunday when Therrien, who was reluctant to break up a winning lineup, brought Talbot back in after a three-game absence because of a foot injury and he scored such an important goal.
“It was great to see,” said Penguins goaltending coach Gilles Meloche, who scouted Talbot in junior and recommended Pittsburgh take a chance on him in the eighth round of the 2004 NHL entry draft.
“All championship teams have excellent role players like Max.”
Talbot was a competent player in junior. He was especially good in the big games, scoring 25 goals and 72 points in 35 postseason games in leading the Gatineau Olympiques to back-to-back QMJHL championships in 2003 and 2004.
But the 5-foot-11, 190-pound forward still wasn't a sure thing to be drafted, because of his size and subpar skating.
“He had two strikes against him,” Meloche said. “But every game I saw him play, he was up against the opposition's best line. A checker who can score 100 points, you just don't give up on players like these.”
Talbot's skating continued to improve, enough at least to be chosen to play for the Canadian team that finished second at the 2004 world junior tournament. Canada's lineup also included current Penguins centre Sidney Crosby and goaltender Marc-André Fleury, as well as Flyers players Mike Richards, Jeff Carter and Braydon Coburn.
“Why did I make it?” Talbot said, repeating the question asked of him. “I think it's my character. You get down sometimes, like I was with my injuries this season. But you stay positive. All I wanted was a foot in the door.”
Talbot, 24, is a disciple of the self-help, positive-image book The Secret. He also is a popular and colourful teammate. When he was one of the few Penguins to participate in an optional skate at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto earlier this season, he took a few laps in Crosby's No. 87 sweater to have some fun with the crowd of schoolchildren in attendance.
Talbot credits his parents, Serge and Lucie, who raised their three boys in the south-shore Montreal suburb of Lemoyne, for his positive nature and cheerful demeanour.
When Talbot walked out of the Mellon Arena 90 minutes after Sunday's game with his parents and girlfriend, none of the foursome could wipe off their ear-to-ear grins.
“My parents have always been there for me,” Talbot said. “We're a bit of a crazy family that discusses everything. We're very open-minded. I definitely have learned a lot from my parents. My dad is a hard-working construction worker, while mom is the family leader, the talker with the big mouth.”
Talbot, the youngest of the three, said his middle brother, Will, is like his father, while the eldest, Frank, is like his mother. “I have a bit of both in me,” Talbot said.
In Pictures:
