Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin scores 500th goal of NHL career

The week of milestones continues for one of the best players in the game.

On Wednesday night, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin scored the 500th goal of his NHL career. The goal came at the 3:26 mark of the third period in their contest against the Buffalo Sabres, briefly giving the Penguins the lead.

Malkin became the 48th player in NHL history to reach the milestone and only the second Russian to score 500 goals, the other being Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin. He is the first player since Steven Stamkos hit the mark as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning two seasons ago.

The 38-year-old also joined a select company in Penguins lore. Malkin became only the third player to score 500 goals as a member of the franchise. Only teammate Sidney Crosby (592) and Hockey Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux (690) achieved the milestone during their careers as Penguins.

It wasn’t the only milestone reached on Wednesday night as Crosby registered his 1,600th point, becoming the 10th player in league history to reach the mark.

It has been an eventful week for Malkin, as his 500th goal was the icing on the cake for milestones. Last Thursday against the Detroit Red Wings, he registered his 800th assist, becoming the 34th player in NHL history to do so. Then, on Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Malkin became the 37th player to reach 1,300th career points.

With 1,306 points, Malkin has the third-most points among active NHLers, trailing only Crosby and Ovechkin.

Malkin has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh. In the 2004 NHL Draft, he was drafted second overall, behind Ovechkin. He has since been a huge part of the team’s success, including winning three Stanley Cups (2009, 2016, 2017). Malkin has hit the 100-point mark three times in his career, registering a career-best 113 points during the 2008-09 season.