Mr. 101 made Game No. 1,001 of his career special.
Evgeni Malkin, even as all-time greats, usually inspires considerable emotion. From the fans. From teammates. From the opponents. Sometimes of himself.
It was only fitting that his night at the PPG Paints Arena would end exactly as it did on Wednesday.
Playing before a raucous crowd, Malkin, who was honored for playing his 1,000th game at a pregame ceremony, brought the house down when he gave the Penguins a 2-1 shootout victory against the Calgary Flames.
“That,” said Sidney Crosby, smiling, “was perfect.”
After Malkin scored the game-winning goal in the shootout, he flung his stick into the crowd before being mobbed by his teammates.
“You wouldn’t want anybody else with a chance to win the game,” Crosby said. “The whole night was amazing. All day. The last (days), to be honest. Happy to see him roof it and get the winner.”
The victory is the fourth in a row for the Penguins, who will then play in a Black Friday matchup in Philadelphia.
Truly a thing of beauty. pic.twitter.com/fjTXNsdNaN
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 24, 2022
Jan Rutta also scored for the Penguins, who controlled the game for most of the night despite needing extra time against a Flames team that beat them soundly in Calgary a month ago.
Tristan Jarry earned the win, giving him 100 in his young NHL career. He stopped 33 of 34 shots.
The game would have been over long ago if not for the performance of Calgary backup goaltender Dan Vladar, who was on his head for much of the night, thwarting more than a dozen quality looks from the Penguins.
“He was very, very good,” Crosby said.
And yet the night belonged to Malkin. He was joined by his wife, Anna, and his son, Nikita, in a pregame ceremony. A Penguins tribute video nearly brought Malkin to tears.
If a picture is worth 1,000 words, this 1,000 game video is priceless.
We are so thankful to be able to watch and cheer on @emalkin71geno in a Penguins jersey for 1000 games and counting.#Ma1Kin pic.twitter.com/dHnuxAmnx6
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 24, 2022
“It was an amazing night for me, for my family,” Malkin said.
Malkin: “I think it’s like an amazing life… I’ve played with a lot of guys, amazing guys. They support me. I moved to the United States 17 years ago. I have so many good friends here, you know? It was an incredible night for me, for my family. Thanks to my colleagues.” pic.twitter.com/KRD7w9tHGi
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 24, 2022
Video tributes poured in from across the hockey world. Malkin’s close friend Sergei Gonchar was present overnight. Even one of his biggest rivals, his compatriot Alex Ovechkin, sent Malkin a video.
Even when you are rivals, greatness respects greatness.#Ma1Kin pic.twitter.com/0jyiUxaky2
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 23, 2022
And before the night was out, Malkin left Pittsburgh with another special memory.
GENO SWARM! pic.twitter.com/9DoTk9urpt
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 24, 2022
“The stage is not too big for him,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “He plays the best he can when the stakes are high. He is a generational talent. He is ultra competitive. It couldn’t have been a more fitting ending to his 1,000th game celebration, as he scores the game-winning penalty shootout goal.”
Ten post-match observations
• We’ll get in touch with Malkin in a moment.
But first, some sticky touches are due to the packed crowd at PPG Paints Arena on Wednesday. I’ve covered almost every game played in that building, and it was the best regular-season crowd I’ve ever heard at the Penguins’ 11-year facility. And it wasn’t close.
After the game, Crosby went out of his way to mention how spectacular the crowd was.
Why? I offer you three theories.
First, it was the annual Thanksgiving Eve game in Pittsburgh, which usually produces a good crowd.
Second, it was Malkin’s night. The Penguins fan base has always reacted in a pretty visceral way to Malkin. Crosby is Crosby, which is to say that he is hockey royalty and is treated as such. But Malkin brings out an intense emotion in the fanbase that is his and his alone. He was awarded a penalty in the third period that could have cost the Penguins the game. This sparked a fit of anger from the crowd not typical of Penguins home games. It was a truly spectacular crowd, very much on par with a playoff game.
Third, an idea: Penguins aren’t selling like they used to be anymore. Happens. The economy is not great. Money is tight for many people. The construction of the center is a circus. As a result, tickets on the secondary market are extremely cheap. Maybe some of the true fans can afford to go. It’s been an unpleasantly corporate crowd for a long time in that building. That sure wasn’t the case on Wednesday.
Whatever the case, it was a special crowd. If you were there, you know it.
• Good for Malkin.
He’s been through a lot in the last year. We cannot imagine what it is like to be a hockey player from Russia and the pressure associated with it. I’m sure there are many things he would like to say, he just feels he can’t. I don’t know what it’s like to be under that kind of microscope. You neither.
Also, I think Malkin had a real fear that things might not work out with the Penguins over the summer. He had never been an unrestricted free agent. I don’t think it was a pleasant experience for him.
Malkin never wanted to leave Pittsburgh, and that’s in large part because of nights like this. The Penguins have been the best show in hockey for two decades. He has had a leading role. And he will remember Wednesday night for a long time.
• The Penguins perform these ceremonies correctly.
In addition, it is striking to see ceremonies in which Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang participate. We didn’t know if they would still be together after last season. For these three guys to still be playing at a high level and still wearing the same sweater after all these years is pretty incredible.
Rest assured, they are the best of friends, and it was pretty clear that Crosby and Letang enjoyed Wednesday night just as much as Malkin. They were so, so happy for him.
From Malkin’s shyness and language barrier, it could be said that we don’t know him the same way we know Crosby and Letang. However, it has always struck me how much Malkin’s teammates love him. Malkin shows only glimpses of his legendary persona when the cameras are on. His teammates see him daily and clearly think the world of him. He has always been like that.
• There was no way Malkin wouldn’t score in the penalty shootout. The whole building knew it.
By the way, Malkin played a strong game. His line, along with Jason Zucker and Bryan Rust, was buzzing for much of the night in Calgary territory.
Malkin is still a points-per-game player, and if the Penguins’ borderline dysfunctional power play could resolve itself, those point totals would skyrocket.
Malkin is still an elite player.
• What a nice addition Rutta has been.
He is certainly best known for his defense, and for the most part, his defensive work has been outstanding.
However, Rutta added his third young goal of the season as the Penguins flew out early in the first period and took an immediate lead.
A good start for a strong team 💪 pic.twitter.com/77FzwA5Y6q
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 24, 2022
• Speaking of nice additions, how about Josh Archibald?
The Penguins’ fourth line has been good in recent games and was effective against the Flames. Archibald took two penalties on Wednesday and was hitting everything that moved all night.
He finished with four hits and was left on the ice for Rutta’s goal.
The Penguins aren’t a particularly abrasive team. They need someone to stir the pot and play the jerk once in a while, you know? Archibald has been that guy. He has been responsible defensively and has scored three goals. As long as he takes more penalties than he does, and that has been the case lately, he can be a very useful player.
• A negative, if I may.
The Penguins dominated most of the night, but struggled in the second period. Calgary’s size was an issue during that period.
This was especially visible when PO Joseph was on the ice. Joseph has been solid for the Penguins, but the Flames dominated him in that stretch. He’s going to struggle against big, physical teams.
This is something to monitor.
• As we all know, Letang has been struggling a lot.
Wednesday was a big step in the right direction for him. He was good. He simplified his game. He eliminated most of the head-scratching bugs.
Maybe Letang hit rock bottom in Chicago. He was just horrendous in that game.
This was a good bounce.
• Until next time? It is central foundry.
Penguins and Flyers have a special kind of hate for each other. And now we add John Tortorella to the mix. I would suggest finishing your Black Friday shopping at 5:30pm for Friday’s drive delivery.
• Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Take care and enjoy the holidays.
(Photo by Evgeni Malkin, center, Teddy Blueger, right, and Danton Heinen: Justin Berl / Getty Images)
Source: news.google.com