Karlsson excited for 'meaningful' 1,000th NHL game with Penguins

CRANBERRY, Pa. -- Erik Karlsson doesn't take getting to 1,000 NHL games for granted. 

"It's obviously a great feeling to be able to have lasted that long," Karlsson said. "I've been very fortunate to have played with a lot of guys that have reached that milestone. I know what a grind it is." 

But the defenseman is more appreciative of how that game will be played on Saturday, when he and the Pittsburgh Penguins host the Boston Bruins at PPG Paints Arena (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+). 

It will come with the Penguins trying to take another step toward the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That it will be Karlsson's 1,000th is a bonus. 

"It's going to be a fun game tomorrow, not only for that but that it's a meaningful game for us," Karlsson said. "I'm happy that we're in the situation we're in. To play the 1,000th game under the circumstance that it will be tomorrow will be the most important thing." 

Pittsburgh (37-30-12) was 10 points out of a playoff spot on March 4. On a 10-game point streak (7-0-3), it is now in the second wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of the Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers.

Karlsson has six points (two goals, four assists) in the past five games. He has 52 points (10 goals, 42 assists) in 79 games, ahead of Kris Letang (50 points; 10 goals, 40 assists) for the team-lead among defensemen.

"I think 'Karl' has such an ability to impact the game in so many ways," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "He's done that for us throughout the course of the season. The expectations are high with players of Karl's stature. I think that's the burden of responsibility that they bear when they're some of the best players in the League." 

It's a burden that was conquered on Thursday. 

In overtime against the Red Wings, Karlsson took a pass from Sidney Crosby and walked into a slap shot from the high slot. He dropped to his knees and pumped his fists toward the rafters after scoring for a pivotal 6-5 win that moved the Penguins into playoff position ahead of the Capitals. 

"I just figured, 'Why not?'" Karlsson said. "I think I was owed one. So I took my chances and it worked out."

That was expected on Aug. 6, when Karlsson was acquired from the San Jose Sharks in a three-team trade involving the Montreal Canadiens. Last season, he won the Norris Trophy for the third time as the League's best defenseman when he scored 101 points (25 goals, 76 assists), becoming the sixth different defenseman in NHL history to have a 100-point season.

The 33-year-old joined a Penguins team that had just missed the playoffs but qualified the previous 16 seasons and won championships in 2009, 2016 and 2017, led by Crosby, Letang and Evgeni Malkin. 

Karlsson said Pittsburgh was his best chance at winning the Stanley Cup for the first time.

On March 23, Pittsburgh was 30-30-9, seventh in the Metropolitan Division, 13th in the East and 24th in the NHL. He was on an 18-game goal drought with three assists from Feb. 29-April 1. 

"It's been a roller coaster of a season, I think, for everybody," Karlsson said. "It's been a lot of ups and downs. I think we're all very fortunate and excited and happy to be in the situation that we're in. That's all we're focused [on] now. I don't think anybody is really reflecting on anything that's gone on in the past."  

Even when it was tough, the way Karlsson held himself helped, Crosby said.

"I think he brings a lot of energy to the rink," Crosby said. "It's one thing you notice right away. I think you need that. You have different personalities on every team, but he brings a lot of fun, a lot of energy.  

"That's so important. It's a great trait to have and it's definitely something that's been welcomed here." 

Karlsson has 813 points (188 goals, 625 assists) in 15 NHL seasons since being selected by the Ottawa Senators in the first round (No. 15) of the 2008 NHL Draft. He has the 17th-most points by a defenseman in NHL history and the second most by a Sweden-born defenseman, trailing Nicklas Lidstrom (1,142 points; 264 goals, 878 assists in 1,564 games). 

One of the premier offensive defensemen of his generation, Karlsson (6-foot, 190 pounds) has helped revolutionize the position from one more reliant on size when he was a rookie in 2009-10. 

"I think I've always been a smaller guy. Especially back then, I think the League was very different," Karlsson said. "Everybody was big and strong, and physical. There was a lot of banging pucks around, and bodies. Obviously, I didn't have that in my arsenal.  

"So I think that I just stuck with the things I thought made me good and tried to improve the things that were not so good. Luckily, I got the chance in Ottawa to come in at a good time. They believed in me from the beginning. I think that they helped propel me into the player that I am today." 

That can't be erased, regardless of how the rest of this season goes. 

Right now, that isn't as important to Karlsson as this improbable push to the playoffs, one he doesn't want to end.

"I think we're all looking forward to playing a huge game tomorrow again," Karlsson said. "I think we've been in that mindset for quite some time now. That's just fun and that's just exciting, and something I've been missing for quite a few years now."