PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – As much as to get to 1,400 career points and beyond, Evgeni Malkin knows what Saturday night could mean for him as he wants to play next year with the Pens.
“Every goal helps me to contract,” Malkin said with a laugh, but also as a statement to GM Kyle Dubas.
“If I say I deserve it and he (Dubas) says no, what are we talking about.” Malkin said plainly. “We see how playoffs go. How I play in playoffs? How I play in the last five games?”
“We’ll see what is going on in the summer, but now is the most fun time of the year. I enjoyed (Saturday), hat trick, gives me confidence.”
And it sparked the team, holding onto a one-goal lead in the second period Saturday against a Florida team out of the playoffs, Malkin scored back-to-back goals and then capped the night with his third as hats were flung to the ice.
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“I almost cried a little bit because it’s huge for me,” Malkin said. “I don’t remember when I had my last hat trick, it’s been such a long time. Lots of emotion, I want to say thank you for the support for myself and the team, it’s crazy.”
“He was attacking the game, five-on-five, on the power play,” said Pens head coach Dan Muse. “He’s so hard to handle on the power play. It’s not a surprise, when you see it on a daily basis you understand why he’s at a number like that which is absolutely incredible.”
“It’s been fun to watch him the whole season,” said Pens forward Rickard Rakell. “He’s been really good this whole time for us. You can tell when he is feeling it and he wants the puck and he wants to do something every time he touches it. It’s a good thing for us.”
“It’s been great,” said Pens goalie Arturs Silovs of playing with Malkin. “Sometimes he has a little break and comes back with three, four points. I guess a break for him is good sometimes. He’s been really dominant a lot of games.”
“It’s amazing number for sure, on one team is huge,” Malkin said of now 1,403 career points. “I love playing here with Sid, Tanger, Karl. We played hard and it’s huge for us as we fight for the playoffs.”
“I don’t want to stop, I want the next milestone.”
And he’s done it recently after moving from his position of 19 years, center, to wing. He said it’s crazy, but he loves it now. He is understanding every day how to improve in the offensive and defensive zone. He’s now comfortable.
“Maybe I’m an important player, I can play both ways,” Malkin said. “Talk to Kyle (Dubas), if he loves it.”
Malkin wasn’t the only one to hit a big number, Sidney Crosby passed Steve Yzerman for seventh place on the NHL’s all-time points list (1,756).
“For me and I hope for everybody involved, on our team, in this room, in Pittsburgh, you can’t take this for granted just because you keep seeing milestones being hit or records or points,” Muse said. “Some people might never get to see things like this happen. Never do I take that for granted.”
“It’s something we are proud to witness first hand.”
LISTEN to what Evgeni Malkin said, plus reaction from teammates, coach
