Just two days after hitting 800 assists, the Pittsburgh Penguins‘ Evgeni Malkin reached another milestone. Versus the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 12, 2024, he netted two assists for the second game in a row for his 1,300th NHL point. He became just the 37th player to score that many in a career, further cementing himself as a future Hall of Famer.
Evgeni Malkin scored his 1300th point in his career on this assist on Rickard Rakell's goal!
— The Hockey Writers (@TheHockeyWriter) October 13, 2024
Way to go, Geno#LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/3CTMSDbJu0
For one of the few times in his legendary career, Malkin is playing less for a Stanley Cup and more for personal achievements. He already has four assists through three games, so it’s not for a lack of trying, but Pittsburgh doesn’t seem to be one of the top contenders in the league anymore. That said, the 38-year-old Russian centerman is trying his best to change the narrative.
Malkin and the Penguins are coming off of back-to-back playoff misses, something that is unfamiliar territory for the veteran—he had never seen a campaign without a postseason berth in his entire career prior to 2022-23. So far this season, they are 1-2-0 including a 4-2 defeat to the aforementioned Maple Leafs. The dynasty may be fading, but the talent is not.
The last truly attainable milestone for Malkin this season is 500 goals. Just two shy of that total with 498, he’s probably a few days away from that one. Hitting a new century mark in goals, assists, and points all within October would be quite a story, but it is very much a possibility for the long-time Penguin.
