Penguins' Sullivan: Malkin 'at his best' during dominant 4-point night

After 1,065 games in the NHL, nothing that Pittsburgh Penguins veteran Evgeni Malkin does should come as a surprise. But his four-point outing against the Washington Capitals on Friday night still impressed head coach Mike Sullivan.

"I thought Geno was on his game tonight," he told reporters after his side's 4-0 win. "When he's on his game, it seems like the puck follows him around, and he played with a lot of energy. He's still such a dominant player out there. I thought tonight he was at his best."

Sullivan added, "He was playing at both ends of the rink. He's competing hard. I just think when he's on his game, he's as dominant a player as there is in the league."

Malkin kicked off his evening with a quick snap shot in the slot for his first goal of the 2023-24 season. He went on to add a pair of primary assists, as well as a secondary helper on longtime teammate Sidney Crosby's first goal of the contest.

The Penguins outshot the Capitals 16-4, with Malkin on the ice at all strengths while dictating 74.4% of the shot attempts and 73.7% of the scoring chances, per Natural Stat Trick.

All in, the outing was the 37-year-old's 29th game in which he bagged at least four points in a single contest.

Crosby has long had a front-row seat to the Malkin show. Along with defenseman Kris Letang, the three Penguins are now in their 18th NHL season together and own the title of longest tenured teammates in North America. The previous record was held by Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, and Mariano Rivera, who played 17 consecutive campaigns with the New York Yankees.

"(Malkin) was just all over the ice," Crosby said. "He made some great plays. ... Nights like this where he's feeling it, he's gonna set up guys or create chances himself. He was just all over the puck tonight."

Malkin's dominant performance was needed after the Penguins suffered a disheartening loss to the Chicago Blackhawks that saw them squander a 2-0 lead during their season opener on Oct. 10.

Sullivan was a big fan of his team's improved play.

"I just thought we played smarter tonight," he said. "I thought we had a little more structure in the defensive zone, just our play without the puck was a little bit more conscientious, certainly than it was in Game 1. I think that gives our guys an opportunity to act on the talent that we have."

Next up for Malkin and the Penguins is a clash against the Calgary Flames on Saturday.

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