One goal away from 500: Penguins' Evgeni Malkin off to torrid start, leading NHL in points

Cameron Hoover / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Evgeni Malkin’s hot start to the 2024-25 season can be exemplified by one play.

In the second period of Thursday’s 6-3 win over the Red Wings in Detroit, Malkin received the puck from Kris Letang in his own zone. The 38-year-old danced around fellow countryman Vladimir Tarasenko near center ice, then galloped into Red Wings territory.

As Malkin stickhandled toward Ville Husso, all three remaining Red Wings were drawn to him. Olli Maatta and Erik Gustafsson bit to try to get Malkin off the puck, and Malkin dumped it back in front, setting up Drew O’Connor for an easy goal.

At 38, now the oldest player on the Penguins roster, Malkin has started the season in vintage form and doesn’t appear to be slowing down.

“I think he looks strong. He’s in great shape,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said of Malkin after Monday night’s win in Montreal. “I think he’s trying to play the game the right way. We talk to him a lot about certain aspects of his game, and we can see him making a concerted effort out there to try to play the game the right way.”

Whatever Sullivan and his coaching staff have discussed with Malkin, it’s working. Malkin scored an empty-netter Monday night, the 499th goal of his career. When Malkin next lights the lamp, he’ll join Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby as the only Penguins to reach the 500-goal mark.

When that happens, Pittsburgh will become only the second team in NHL history to have three players hit that plateau — the Canadiens (Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau and Maurice Richard) being the other.

Interestingly, though, the goals aren’t necessarily the key feature of Malkin’s blistering start to the season. In fact, before his empty-netter with 1:10 left, Malkin hadn’t even registered a shot on goal Monday night.

But he’s finding a way to impact games with his bullish skating and gravitational pull, as evidenced by his seven points tying for the league lead with the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin and Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel.

Malkin reached another milestone — his 800th career assist — in the game in Detroit. And — thus far — he’s doing it without the mental lapses and silly penalties that have earned consternation from Penguins fans throughout the late stages of Malkin’s career.

“For me, it’s all about partners,” Malkin said Thursday. “I’ve played with lots of guys. Probably most guys retired, but I’m still playing. I always have fun with anybody. I play with Sid on the power play. I’ve probably given him the most assists in my life. It’s a great milestone for me. I need more, probably.”

Malkin picked up another nifty helper Monday in Montreal. Matt Grzelcyk carried the puck along the left-side boards in the third period and saucered a pass across the ice to Malkin. Rather than going for glory himself, though, Malkin feathered the puck back over to Letang. Canadiens goalie Sam Montembeault couldn’t get back fast enough because he had flung himself across his crease trying to stop an impending shot from Malkin.

The goalscorer said the play was proof of how locked in Malkin has been to start the season.

“He’s playing really well. I don’t know if he’s in a rush to get 500 goals,” Letang said. “No, he’s playing really well, honestly. I think what has impressed me most probably is his play without the puck. He’s been playing a lot better in his zone, stopping on more plays. So it’s fun to watch.”

While Malkin is passing the eye test with his dazzling displays, the numbers are on his side, too. According to Sportlogiq, Malkin finished Monday’s contest with 1.41 expected goals, by far a game-best.

Malkin led the Penguins in offensive zone time in each night of the team’s recent three-game road trip, including a full minute’s worth Saturday in Toronto. He also had six controlled entries and seven controlled exits vs. the Canadiens, controlling the game with his ability to carry the puck throughout the ice.

“I have great speed in the neutral zone. It’s my game,” Malkin said. “When I have the puck a little bit deeper, when you give it to me in our zone and I have speed from the neutral zone, that’s my game. I like it.”

As he approaches another milestone, much of Malkin’s Hall of Fame career is undeniably linked to his partnership with Crosby. The pair won three Stanley Cups over nearly two decades together — perhaps more tellingly, they stayed together as they entered their twilight years in the NHL. Sullivan’s message is simple: Don’t take those two for granted.

“I think what they have here is unique and incredibly special,” Sullivan said. “They’re arguably a core that’s been together the longest in any sport. What they’ve accomplished speaks for itself. I also think when you win championships like these guys have, you build relationships with your teammates in a way that is hard to articulate. Those relationships last a lifetime. ...

“They remind me of siblings in how they interact with one another. They have their own tussles inside the locker room. It reminds me of my kids the way they go at it with each other. But I think they have sincere, heartfelt care for one another also. You can see it in how they stick up for each other on the ice. I think that’s part of the experience they’ve had together.”