Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The most overlooked superstar in hockey history recorded two assists for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, moving him to 36th on the NHL's all-time scoring list with 1,300 points.
Among the current players, only Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin scored more points. Yet there was a time when the NHL didn't even include Evgeny Malkin on its 100th Anniversary list.
The joke back then was that Malkin was ranked 101st. That same year, Pittsburgh won its first consecutive Stanley Cup.
So yes, he may have been motivated.
Something similar happened a year ago when ESPN somehow forgot to include Malkin in its season preview of the top 100 players. The reason was that he was too old and kept getting injured.
Malkin, who finished the season with 83 points, followed it up with 67 points. But the more important number was 82 – because for the second year in a row, he and Crosby played in all 82 games. This rare streak lasted until Malkin's 19th season and Crosby's 20th season.
Both veterans were not only healthy, but also very productive. Malkin leads the Penguins with four points, and Crosby is second on the team with three points.
They have a total of seven points in three games, even if all of them are assists.
It's early, of course. But just one week into the season, Malkin, who won the Hart Trophy in 2012, was once again among the NHL's top 15 scorers. And unlike 2012, Crosby is right there with him.
“What is there to say? I think it speaks for itself. He's one of the greatest players of all time,” said coach Mike Sullivan. “He is undoubtedly one of the best players of his generation. We are happy to have two of them on our team.”
Too bad there aren't more of them in Pittsburgh. Although considering the deep discount Crosby provided on his contract extension, GM Kyle Dubas should have enough room to acquire more reinforcements in the coming years. Not that he could afford to wait too long. These penguins aren't getting any younger.
At 38 years old, Malkin is clearly not the same player he once was. But like Crosby, who has three points in three games, it's not like Father Time is winning the battle right away.
Malkin played poorly against the Leafs on Saturday. His long-range shot helped Kris Letang score on the power play to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead in the first quarter. And after Pittsburgh trailed 3-1 in the third quarter, he used his 6-foot-3 frame as a screen as Rickard Rakell made it a one-goal game.
Still, the Penguins lost 4-2 in a game in which they didn't look like a team that would challenge for the Stanley Cup, much less break a two-year playoff drought. That is, unless they get more input from players who are in their mid-20s rather than late 30s.
After all, Crosby and Malkin have played in all 82 games in each of the last two seasons. The Penguins failed to make the playoffs in both of those years.
“It's not a great game,” Malkin said. – We can definitely play better. Every line. I hope we will play better in everything in the next match.”
When told about his milestone, Malkin didn't seem interested in talking about individual achievements.
“When you lose, it's different,” he said. “I'm not focusing on my points right now. I want the team to win.”
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