Faulk getting Russian education on back end

On Sunday, Canes defenseman Justin Faulk was on the ice at times with Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals.

Two days later, it was Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Tonight, it will be Ovechkin again.

For a 19-year-old rookie and especially on the back end, it's all part of an NHL education. It's going through the teams and facing the best forwards in the league, seeing their best moves and seeing how you stack up.

"As a defenseman you try to play everyone the same way, just be tight-gapped and end the play as soon as possible," Faulk said after today's morning skate. "When you play a team and against a player, you kind of learn what they like to do and their style of game. As the games go on and you play against them more and more, you learn their tendencies and it helps you out there a lot."

What's the difference between facing Ovechkin and Malkin, the two Russian stars?

"They're both pretty big and strong guys, and both can skate," Faulk said. "I think Ovechkin might try to go through you a little bit more. Malkin kind of uses his big body and will try to beat you around to the outside a little bit more.

"Malkin likes to use the back of the net a lot and track the puck and wait for an opening and cut through the middle. Ovechkin tries to beat you more to the middle right away, just go one-on-one with you and just try to get to the net or fire a quick shot right through you and keep going to the net for a rebound.

"They have slightly different styles. But both are big and strong and with both you have to try to be in their face and not give them too much time to create offense."

In the game Sunday in Washington, Ovechin tried to go outside-in with the puck against Faulk. The move worked but Faulk stayed with it and kept his body on Ovechkin, preventing a good shot while sending Ovechkin tumbling into the net.

Asked his toughest matchup thus far, Faulk quickly mentioned Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils.

"Definitely one of the hardest guys to play against," Faulk said. "Smaller, stronger, always on the puck. He never gives up. He finishes his hits. He's always huning the puck and going 100 percent all the time. He can beat you wide, beat you one-on-one."

Faulk leads all rookie defensemen in ice time per game (22:19) and had 27:33 TOI, with three hits and two blocked shots, Tuesday against the Pens. He's used on the power play and has a pair of power-play goals.

Faulk will be in Ottawa next week for the NHL All-Star Weekend as one of 12 rookies selected to participate.

"I'd say he's one of the biggest surprises, or hidden secrets, in the NHL right now," Canes coach Kirk Muller said. "What's amazed me, for a kid his age he has the skill and everything, but it's his knowledge of how to play the game at such a young age -- without the puck, playing against top players, the positioning and all that -- that is pretty impressive for a kid his age.

"He's got good hockey sense. He's always in the right position. He's strong. He plays against the guys like Malkin and the big forwards. He combines the hockey sense, the positioning, the skill level and that allows him to do his job."

Other notes from today's skate ... Forward Chad LaRose was out of the yellow, no-contact jersey but will not play tonight, Muller said. LaRose, who has missed the last five games with a shoulder injury, will travel with the team to Long Island for tomorrow's New York Islanders game. ...

Defenseman Jaroslav Spacek will miss his fourth straight game.  ... The Caps have won four of their last five, with the loss coming Tuesday to the Islanders, 3-0. Washington then shut out Montreal 3-0 Wednesday. The Caps have had 17 and 16 shots in their past two games.