If Crosby And Malkin Keep Wholesome, Are The Penguins A Playoff Workforce? They Weren't Final Yr

Essentially the most-snubbed celebrity within the historical past of hockey picked up a pair of assists on Saturday, transferring him into thirty sixth on the all-time NHL scoring listing with 1,300 factors.

Amongst present gamers, solely Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin have put up extra factors. And but, there was a time when the NHL didn’t even embrace Evgeni Malkin in its listing of top-100 gamers to have a good time its centennial.

Again then, the joke was that Malkin was ranked one hundred and first. That very same yr, Pittsburgh received its first of back-to-back Stanley Cups.

So, yeah, he could have been motivated.

One thing comparable occurred a yr in the past, when ESPN somehow forget to put Malkin its its season preview of top-100 players. The reasoning was he was getting too previous and he was always getting harm.

Malkin, who was coming off an 83-point season, adopted it up with 67 factors. However the extra vital quantity was 82 — as in, for the second yr in a row, he and Crosby each performed in all 82 video games. The uncommon streak has continued into Malkin’s nineteenth season and Crosby’s twentieth.

Not solely have the 2 veterans been wholesome. However they’ve additionally been extremely productive. Malkin leads the Penguins with 4 factors, whereas Crosby is second on the workforce with three factors.

Mixed, they’ve seven factors in three video games — even when all of them are assists.

It’s early, in fact. However one week into the season, Malkin, who received the Hart Trophy in 2012, is again among the many NHL’s top-15 scorers. And in contrast to in 2012, Crosby is true there with him.

“What’s there to say? I feel it speaks for itself. He’s one of many biggest gamers of all time,” mentioned coach Mike Sullivan. He’s clearly among the best gamers of his era. We’re lucky that now we have two of them on our workforce.”

It’s too dangerous Pittsburgh doesn’t have extra of them. Though, with how a lot of a reduction Crosby offered on his contract extension, GM Kyle Dubas ought to have the cap area to get extra reinforcements within the coming years. Not that he can afford to attend too lengthy. These Penguins aren’t getting any youthful.

At 38, Malkin clearly isn’t the participant he was. However like Crosby, who has three factors in three video games, it’s not like Father Time is profitable the battle simply but.

Malkin was a handful in opposition to the Leafs on Saturday. His blast from the purpose helped arrange Kris Letang’s energy play purpose to provide Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead within the first interval. And after Pittsburgh went down 3-1 within the third, he used his 6-foot-3 body as a display as Rickard Rakell made it a one-goal recreation.

Nonetheless, the Penguins misplaced 4-2 in a recreation the place they didn’t look very similar to a workforce that can contend for a Stanley Cup — a lot much less snap their two-year playoff drought. That’s, except they get extra contributions from gamers who’re of their early 20s — not late 30s.

In any case, Crosby and Malkin performed in all 82 video games in every of the previous two seasons. And the Penguins missed the playoffs each of these years.

“It’s not an amazing recreation,” mentioned Malkin. “We are able to play higher, for positive. Each line. I hope subsequent recreation we play higher every thing.”

When advised of his milestone, Malkin appeared uninterested to speak about particular person achievements.

“If you lose, it’s completely different,” he mentioned. “I’m not seeking to my factors proper now. I need the workforce to win.”