Malkin reaches 1,000 NHL points with Penguins

Evgeni Malkin reached 1,000 NHL points with two assists for the Pittsburgh Penguins in a
5-3 win against the Washington Capitals
at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday.

The 32-year-old center has 391 goals and 609 assists in 848 games with the Penguins, who selected him with the No. 2 pick in the 2004 NHL Draft. He is the 88th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 points, the first since Vancouver Canucks forward Daniel Sedin on Nov. 30, 2017.
"Like, finally. Last couple weeks I'm a little bit nervous," Malkin said. "It's like a little bit slow, but it's finally over, 1,000. I breathe normally. Thanking my teammates. Special day for my family, my friends."
Malkin assisted on a power-play goal by Sidney Crosby in the second period and on a power-play goal by Phil Kessel in the third.
"I'm happy for him," Crosby said. "It was only a matter of time when he's this close. It's a great milestone. He's done so much over the years. He's been a part of winning teams, highlight-reel goals and has dominated games. He's done a lot for the organization. It's just been fun to be a part of that and watch that. You're always happy for your teammates when they do well, but a guy you've played this long with, it's pretty special and pretty unique. It doesn't happen very often. So just really happy he got it. It's a big point too in a big game for us."

Malkin joined Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Crosby as the players to score his 1,000th point with the Penguins.
"We were all thrilled," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "His teammates were so excited for him. The coaches as well. I think he's been anxious to reach the milestone. When he was finally able to get it, everybody was excited and thrilled for him. You could see the raw emotion on the ice, with the players on the ice, but also on the bench. It's pretty cool to be part of that."
Malkin has 70 points (21 goals, 49 assists) in 64 games this season. He has scored at least 30 goals in a season six times, including at least 40 three times, with an NHL career-high 50 in 2011-12.
Malkin scored at least 100 points in a season three times, including 113 in 2008-09, and 109 in 2011-12, winning the Art Ross Trophy as the leading scorer in the NHL each time. He ranks third in Penguins history in games played behind Crosby and Lemieux, and fourth in goals, assists and points, trailing Lemieux, Crosby and Jagr.
"I've played on an absolutely great team and great organization," Malkin said. "Coach gave me time on the power play, 20 minutes every game. I just try to do my best. Again, it's 1,000 points. It's a crazy number, for sure. Growing up in a small city (Magnitogorsk, Russia), I never could believe I would play in the NHL and score 1,000 points. It's probably a special day for my hometown too."
A three-time Stanley Cup winner (2009, 2016, 2017), Malkin won the Calder Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year in 2006-07, the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2009, the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP in 2011-12, and has been an NHL First Team All-Star three times (2007-08, 2008-09, 2011-12).
"It's crazy," Malkin said. "We win tonight. It's a big two points. I make 1,000 points. It's an absolutely amazing night for me. It's like one of the best nights of my life, for sure."