Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, who has already won a Hart Trophy, Conn Smythe, Calder, and two Art Ross trophies, added a special item to his collection on Thursday night: the puck from his 500th career goal. This goal, scored by deftly redirecting a pass from Sidney Crosby while almost sitting down, showcased Malkin’s trademark mix of strength, creativity, and tenacity.
While the crowd erupted in celebration of this milestone and the Penguins’ bench emptied in excitement, Malkin’s most pivotal moment came later. With only 50 seconds left in a 4-5 game, he unleashed a powerful slapshot that slipped past Buffalo goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukonen, allowing Rickard Rakell to score the equalizer with a follow-up shot.
In overtime, Malkin, along with Erik Karlsson and Crosby, executed a flawless sequence to secure a victory and complete his strong performance with four points. This marked Malkin’s first three-point game since his impressive outing against the Montreal Canadiens the previous Tuesday, where he contributed two assists and an empty-net goal.
Currently, Malkin is on a streak of four consecutive games with multiple points, leading the league in both scoring (11 points) and assists (9) after the first two weeks of the season.
The simplest explanation for Malkin’s continued excellence at 38 is his status as one of the sport’s all-time greats. However, it hasn’t always been straightforward. He has had to adapt his playing style to face a more challenging opponent: the aging process.
Malkin last played at an elite level during the 2019-2020 season, fueled by his dynamic partnership with Bryan Rust, where he achieved 74 points in 55 games. However, by then, signs of wear were beginning to show. Injuries plagued him, restricting his participation and hampering his chances for a second Hart Trophy, as he finished 10th in voting after missing 15 games. Over the next two seasons, knee troubles limited him to just 74 games.
When Malkin finally returned to full health for the 2022-23 season, his decision-making and discipline issues became evident, as he ranked second in giveaways and sixth in minor penalties. Without the physical prowess that once made such mistakes manageable, Malkin found himself relying heavily on the power play, where he scored the bulk of his points.
The Penguins’ weak power play during the 2023-24 season—only converting 15.3% despite having talent like Crosby, Karlsson, Kris Letang, and Jake Guentzel—made it even harder for Malkin. His point total dropped to 67, the lowest of his career for a 60-game season, leading to concerns that age had caught up with him.
Amid doubts about an aging player on a seemingly declining team, Malkin wasn’t expected to perform strongly in the 2024-25 season after such a lackluster previous year. Yet, he has surprised many by effectively maneuvering through defenses and executing plays with finesse.
While Crosby garnered attention for his stellar second half of the previous season, Malkin quietly adapted his game, moving closer to the net and leveraging his size to mitigate any loss of speed. He found success, scoring 21 even-strength goals—his best output since 2017-2018.
Under coach Mike Sullivan’s guidance, Malkin worked to simplify his game after a particularly frustrating loss in January. Sullivan noted that Malkin needed to focus on his role rather than trying to do too much, and Malkin took this feedback seriously, reducing penalties and improving his overall effectiveness.
By springtime, Malkin had already transformed his approach, but finding wingers who matched his revised playing style proved challenging, especially with Rust moving to Crosby’s line and Jason Zucker departing as a free agent.
