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Evgeni Malkin scored his 500th NHL goal against the Buffalo Sabres, having ended last season with 498. Malkin felt pressure to reach the milestone but scored the landmark goal with support from family and friends.
Malkin, the 48th player in NHL history to reach 500 goals, shared his thoughts on reaching the milestone.
“I really wanted to score last year, then all summer I was thinking too much, probably,” he said. (via NHL.com)
Malkin is one of only two Russian-born players to score 500 goals, joining Alex Ovechkin. After the game, he expressed his pride in his accomplishment.
“It’s not easy, it’s a long way to score 500, but I’m glad to do it tonight. Finally!" Malkin continued. “Now I’m like, more relaxed, more calm. But for the first time probably, I want to say I’m proud of myself. It’s a great number for me."
Evgeni Malkin comes from Magnitogorsk, a small town in Russia, as he continued to reflect on his accomplishment.
"I’m from a small hometown in Russia, Magnitogorsk, first guy who’s done this and second Russian. I work hard every day, and people probably don’t understand that sometimes it’s not easy for me. But, it’s a great story, Sid pass to me. … it’s amazing, I love it. Again, congrats to myself (laughs),” he added.
Sidney Crosby shares his thoughts on key moments with Evgeni Malkin
His 500th goal came in Evgeni Malkin's 1,150th career game, with an assist from his longtime teammate, Sidney Crosby. It reminded fans of when Malkin assisted Crosby on his 500th goal.
“That’s what I was hoping it would work out as. And it has. I’m super grateful for it. I think whether it’s moments like tonight or things we’ve shared, good and bad, it’s been pretty incredible to be part of the team and play with him over this amount of time," Crosby said.
Crosby also expressed gratitude for their time together:
“It’s been pretty incredible to be part of the team and play with him.”
Fans cheered loudly with chants of "GENO! GENO!" when Malkin scored. He celebrated with teammates Bryan Rust and Crosby, who quickly congratulated him. Malkin smiled and shared how special the night felt.
“Sometimes, I do not understand how this works. But this is a great story for me and him.”
Malkin and Crosby have built a strong connection that has helped the Pittsburgh Penguins.
