Marchenko wants even more after his historic start

Kirill Marchenko hasn't scored a goal in the last five games.
It's all pretty understandable, as he's a rookie playing in the hardest hockey league in the world. Even the best goal scorers go through scoreless droughts a lot longer than this, and while he's clearly a preternatural talent when it comes to putting pucks into the net, he's still going through the ups and downs of his first season of NHL hockey.

Yet, for Marchenko, this is not a happy time. The man lives with a singular passion -- scoring goals -- and he hasn't done so since netting two Feb. 25 in a win over Edmonton.
This is where we could say, "but who's counting?" In this case, it is in fact Marchenko who is counting.
"For me, it's very tough when I don't score in five games," he said. "I want to score in every game. I know how many games I haven't scored."
In the end, though, this is all part of the maturation process for a player who has gotten off to a historic start for the Blue Jackets. No player in CBJ history has scored as many goals in his first 41 games as Marchenko, as even amid his current "slump," the Barnaul, Russia, native has notched 16 goals on the season.

He's just four away from the CBJ rookie season record and sits tied for second among first-year players in the NHL in goals, so by just about any objective measurement, the 22-year-old is producing at an impressive rate.
In fact, Marchenko thanked an interviewer recently when he was told where his early production sits in team history, but he's still not satisfied. While his accomplishments are impressive as compared to Matty Beniers and Shane Pinto -- the NHL rookie scoring leader and the player tied for second with Marchenko, respectively -- he measures himself against such names as his childhood hero Alexander Ovechkin, friend Kirill Kaprizov, and notable goal scorers like Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid.
"Of course, I look at Kaprizov," Marchenko said. "He scored 47 goals last year. Matthews, he scored every second game (as a rookie). Right now, keep working. I want to be like those guys. I think about it because of the trust in me. First line, 20 minutes, so now it's like, if you're going to play me, I try to score goals. If I don't score, I don't know if the coaches are thinking, 'Why is Marchy playing 20 minutes if he scores no goals?' If I have a couple of shots, I need to score, and if I score, we can play better and we can win."
The good news is Marchenko has deserved through his play that bump up in the lineup, as he's been on a line with Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner in recent weeks. Marchenko averaged 12:30 of ice time per game in his first 10 games, contrasted with a mark of 17:46 in his last 10, in part because head coach Brad Larsen has seen the growth in his game.
While Marchenko is noted for his shot -- and let's be honest, it's elite, with goalies often struggling to get a clean read on it off the wing's stick -- he's also done things like take the puck to the net to score goals, not to mention using his physicality and a strong stick to make plays in the offensive zone that led to goals.
"He's going to the hard areas," Larsen said. "He's strong on pucks. He's strong in his battles. He's winning 50-50s. He's playing with more pace. Then you add the element of his skill set, his shot, he becomes a really dangerous player, and that's why he's been earning more ice time for himself."

Marchenko also admits now that he's more ready for the ice time than he was at the start of the season. He spent the first 16 games of the campaign with Cleveland of the AHL as he adjusted to the frenetic pace of play and the different style of North American hockey, and Marchenko admits the stamina to go up and down the ice required on the smaller surface has built as the season has gone on.
"I really like it because the first 10 games, first 15 games, 12 minutes, it was too much," he said. "I was so tired. Now I play 20 and I feel good. I can play. The coaches trust me (to play those minutes) and I try to help the team. But I haven't scored in a couple of games."
Yes, in the end, Marchenko will determine his success by wins and losses, but also by how much he contributes to the cause. Even as a rookie, he feels a responsibility to produce and a drive to be one of the best players in the league.
"I want to play against the best players in the league," Marchenko said. "More guys know (David) Pastrnak and McDavid -- every guy in the league (knows them). Those guys score. No excuses."