"You wouldn't want anyone else with the opportunity to win the game," Sidney Crosby said. "The whole night was awesome, the whole day - the last few days, to be honest. Awesome finish, and happy to see him roof it and get the winner. The fans were extra good tonight."
They really were, starting
with the pre-game ceremony
to honor Malkin, when they chanted his name as he stood alongside wife Anna and 6-year-old son Nikita while watching the special video highlighting his career - and reacted accordingly to each moment.
Malkin had to laugh when he thought about how the fans responded after he was sent to the penalty box at the 13:21 mark of the third period after a rather questionable tripping call. They were so fired up that they booed thunderously whenever the Flames had possession of the puck - no matter how long they held onto it - and cheered incredibly loud whenever the Penguins got a clear or made a play.
"I think they were crazy when I took the penalty. Like, crazy,"Malkin grinned. "We play for the fans, for sure, every night. They buy tickets and were happy they came to watch a nice game. They know we work hard every night and they know we try to win every night. We play for them. Tonight, they cheering my name, it's like… ahh, it's crazy."
They were like that all night, ramping up as the clock ticked down the final minutes of regulation. And it continued through the shootout as Malkin lined up as Pittsburgh's fourth skater, after Jake Guentzel got turned aside.
"I thought Geno had a real strong game, and historically, he's been very good at the shootout," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "He hasn't had many in the last couple of seasons. But certainly, tonight he was a guy that we felt had a real good chance to score."
Watching his teammate's missed attempt gave Malkin the inspiration he needed, who knew right away what he wanted to do against Flames goalie Dan Vladar, who almost single-handedly earned the Flames a point with his outstanding play.
"When Guentz shoot and not score, I think oh, maybe like fake it and use my backhand," Malkin said. "Because he's big and I think he's looking for the first shot. I try to fake it a little bit. My backhand is not perfect, I have a big curve. But I say like, ah - why not?"
Why not, indeed, as Malkin executed it perfectly.
"It's a great way to end it," said Tristan Jarry, watching from the other end of the ice. "It's a special night for him and his family. It couldn't happen to a better guy. Just to see him score that goal was unbelievable."
Danton Heinen said that from the bench, everyone had a feeling it was meant to be. And they emptied it after Malkin buried that backhand to cap off the evening, tossing his stick into the crowd for a lucky fan before getting mobbed by his teammates. Pretty much everyone in the building was thrilled, and even Pittsburgh's opponent respected the script, with Flames head coach Darryl Sutter saying the best part of this sport is the honesty.
"He has the ability to elevate his game when the stakes are high. I think that's where players build their legacies," Sullivan said. "Geno, he's not afraid of it, he gets excited about it. And for me, that's what separates him and some of our other guys from others. He's a generational talent, he's ultra-competitive. It couldn't have been a more fitting end for his 1,000th game celebration tonight that he gets the shootout goal to win the game."
