TORONTO — Evgeni Malkin entered his nineteenth NHL season inside attain of some main milestones.
He crossed one other one off the record Saturday night time within the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 4-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
With two assists, Malkin hit 1,300 profession factors, becoming a member of teammate Sidney Crosby and fellow Russian Alex Ovechkin as the one lively gamers in that group.
Malkin’s milestone level got here late within the third interval. He carried the puck into the offensive zone and handed to Rickard Rakell, who scored a aim. Malkin assisted on Kris Letang’s power-play aim within the first interval.
“If you (lose), it’s completely different,” Malkin mentioned. “I’m not my factors proper now, I need my crew to win.”
Fairly a shot by Rakell, and fairly a milestone for Evgeni Malkin 🎉 pic.twitter.com/MneS3hQ6dR
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) October 13, 2024
It marked the second consecutive sport during which Malkin reached a profession achievement. He recorded his 800th assist Thursday night within the Penguins’ victory over the Red Wings in Detroit. Solely 34 gamers have assisted on that many objectives.
Malkin is one in every of solely 37 gamers to attain at the very least 1,300 factors.
The primary and second picks within the 2004 NHL Draft, pleasant rivals Ovechkin and Malkin have reset the information for Russian gamers within the NHL since becoming a member of the league. No Russians have scored extra objectives or factors than Ovechkin and Malkin, who are also the one Russians to win every of the Hart (MVP), Artwork Ross (scoring chief), Calder (prime rookie) and Conn Smythe (postseason MVP) trophies together with the Stanley Cup.
Malkin started this season two objectives shy of 500 and 4 factors from 1,300. Solely 30 gamers have totaled at the very least 500 objectives and 1,300 factors within the NHL, and Malkin is looking for to affix Crosby and Ovechkin as the one lively members of that group, too.
Perennially within the shadow of Crosby and Ovechkin, Malkin is arguably probably the most ignored stars in NHL historical past — as was evident by his notorious omission from the NHL 100 record coinciding with the league’s centennial final decade.
Malkin, 38, has two seasons remaining on his present contract with the Penguins. He plans to play at the very least these seasons, and lately informed The Athletic he’s open to a attainable third season relying on his well being and productiveness.
Malkin also said in that story he couldn’t envision himself retiring with out enjoying in one other playoff sequence with the Penguins, who’ve missed the previous two postseasons after qualifying in every of Malkin’s first 16 years.
“He’s top-of-the-line gamers of all time,” coach Mike Sullivan mentioned. “And definitely top-of-the-line gamers of his era.
“It’s a privilege teaching him.”
(Photograph: Bruce Bennett / Getty Pictures)
