In 1,000 regular season games Evgeni Malkin has given us great moment after great moment. He is one of the most fun players to ever find their way into the NHL. There was a lot to celebrate with Geno hitting the 1k mark in games played. The Penguins made sure things were special for their superstar player.

Both Evgeni’s wife and son were in Chicago to surprise him for the occasion with Nikita reading off the starting lineup in the locker room.

Earlier tonight, Evgeni Malkin's son Nikita surprised his dad in Chicago and read the Penguins' starting lineup to a room for of smiles (and a few tears) 🫠 pic.twitter.com/MVOQBe4isl

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 21, 2022

It meant quite a bit to Geno

Malkin on his wife and son surprising him at the game: “Big surprise, for sure. Very emotional for me… It’s the best thing in my life. [On his son] I hope maybe he plays in the NHL too and I do the same for him. I appreciate that they come to Chicago and give me a big surprise.”

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 21, 2022

The players got in on the action by mimicking Malkin’s warmup routine

Getting loose, Geno style.#Ma1Kin pic.twitter.com/nhHgrCLyUp

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 21, 2022

All this is nice, but in games like this the player being celebrated usually wants one thing and that is to win the actual hockey game. Malkin and the Penguins accomplished that, too. The team jumped out to a 3-0 lead which included a Malkin goal in his 1,000th game.

He's going streaking!

Evgeni Malkin extends his point streak to seven games with this goal in Chicago. Over the last seven games, Geno has recorded three goals and five assists. pic.twitter.com/0Z19y41XYk

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 21, 2022

It was Malkin’s 8th goal and 20th point in 19 games played this year. Malkin now has 452 goals and 1,166 points in 1,000 career games played. Tough numbers for the vocal minority who didn’t want Malkin back with the team.

The lead didn’t last. One of the weakest offensive teams in the league were able to muster up three straight goals to equalize. Things could have went in a different direction, but not on Sidney Crosby’s watch. Sid immediately scored after the third Chicago goal and the Penguins never looked back.

Our captain cannot be stopped.

Sidney Crosby has 100 more games in his career with multiple points (428) than games with zero points (328). pic.twitter.com/HTJyDQAGj9

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 21, 2022

It was Crosby’s tenth point in the last three games. Crosby is now tied for the most 5v5 points in the NHL with Erik Karlsson. They both have 18.

It was also Crosby’s first career goal in Chicago. Dallas is now the only NHL city Crosby has yet to score in.

Since returning Rickard Rakell to the top line things have been going pretty great. Leave the top six alone for now. Putting Rust up with Crosby had a negative effect on things and it seemed to coincide with the losing going on. The losing has stopped. The Penguins are 5-1-1 in their last six. It is a stretch of games that might have saved the season. They are back in the thick of things with the top six humming along.

Also helping matters are Brock McGinn’s five goals in seven games in what I have to imagine is a career best heater. McGinn is shooting 20% on the year. It is close to double his career average. It came at a good time. Other players are going to have to help pick up the slack. McGinn did his part. It isn’t reasonable to expect it to continue.

On an unexpectedly emotional night for ⁦@emalkin71geno⁩ the @penguins also pulled within a point of a playoff spot. Observations from the Windy City for ⁦@TheAthleticNHL⁩ … https://t.co/TWDCtfGaNL

— Rob Rossi (@Real_RobRossi) November 21, 2022

The Penguins and Malkin weren’t the only ones celebrating

Keith, Seabrook, Hjalmarsson and Sharp are all here. Kane and Toews join the dais, too. When Hossa is introduced, you'll have all seven three-time champs reunited at center ice. The core. https://t.co/tLuvIyGC29

— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) November 20, 2022

The Blackhawks got their core back together to reminisce on how they all let Kyle Beach down. That’s their legacy. Not the championships

Thanks for reading!

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