The phenoms visit the Ducks

Sidney Crosby and Evgeny Malkin did nothing to dispel the hype that they might be the future of the NHL during the Penguins' visit to Anaheim to play the Ducks on Monday night.

The Pittsburgh teens displayed speed and skill in excess, but the Ducks won in overtime in a game they dominated after the first period, in large part because the Ducks showed more discipline and played a better team game. The Ducks' passing and defensive coverage after two first-period goals was clearly superior. Anaheim's problem was it could not finish, and Penguins backup goaltender Jocelyn Thibault got better as the game went on despite little support from his defense.

Crosby was as advertised, an outstanding skater and stickhandler who brings full effort every shift. Some of his passes might have been too risky, but he also seems to be one of those players who needs highly skilled players on his wings.

Malkin skated left wing with Crosby most shifts and showed good strength on his skates, tenacity along the boards and explosiveness in stride and shot. He has 50-goal scorer written all over him for the next decade-plus.

A third Penguins teen also stood out to me: 18-year-old Jordan Staal. The third of four hockey-playing Staals (older brother Eric helped lead Carolina to the Stanley Cup in June and older brother Mark is a defensive prospect in the Rangers' system. A younger brother is in major junior hockey in Canada). Jordan Staal already is Pittsburgh's top penalty killer, and his combination of size, strength and awareness make him a two-way threat. Although he does not have the top-end offensive skills of Crosby or Malkin, in some ways his game is already more well-rounded than theirs.

Not to be over looked are some of the Ducks' young players. Center Ryan Getzlaf and wing Corey Perry get more attention, but hulking forward Dustin Penner was an animal along the wall and created space and chances for his teammates. And Chris Kunitz plays a gritty game while adding a threat of offense. It's interesting to note that while Crosby, Staal, Malkin, Getzlaf and Perry all were first-round picks, neither Kunitz nor Penner were drafted.