Are Penguins doomed if Crosby, Malkin don't score?

Although captain Sidney Crosby and fellow center Evgeni Malkin have made meaningful contributions to help the Penguins reach the Eastern Conference finals, Pittsburgh's top two scorers have been all but shut out in the scoresheet.PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Here is the simple narrative of the Eastern Conference finals, from the Pittsburgh Penguins' perspective: If Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin do not score, the Penguins are cooked.

See? We said it was simple.

The problem is the theory behind this particular narrative is neither simple nor necessarily accurate.

However, it's easy to see why people might believe it to be true. Crosby and Malkin are two of the most talented hockey players in the world.…