Malkin thrilled to reach 1,000 points: 'One of the best nights of my life'

Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin reached the 1,000-point mark on Tuesday night, and he couldn't be more thrilled about it.

"It's 1,000 points. A crazy number," Malkin said postgame. "I played in a small city. I never believed that I would play in the NHL and score 1,000 points.

"It's an amazing night for me. One of the best nights of my life. It's a special day for my family, my friends. I played hockey all my life. It's amazing to be here and win against Washington. It's a special day."

Malkin's two assists helped the propel the Penguins to a 5-3 victory over the rival Washington Capitals. Fittingly, the milestone-reaching point came on linemate Phil Kessel's third-period goal.

"(Kessel) wanted that," Malkin said with a huge grin. "We talked before. He said, 'I hope I score your 1,000th point.' He's unbelievable. It's special for him, too. We've played a long time together. It's a huge goal for him and a huge point for me."

Despite going just one game without a point entering Tuesday, Malkin was feeling the pressure of reaching the mark.

"The last few weeks I was a little bit nervous," he said. "It was (coming slowly). Finally, it's 1,000 and I can breathe normally."

Head coach Mike Sullivan noticed the tension as well.

"He's been anxious to reach the milestone, so when he was finally able to get it everybody was excited and thrilled for him," Sullivan said, according to NBC's Adam Gretz. "You could see the raw emotion from the players on the ice and on the bench. It's cool to be a part of that."

Malkin became the 88th player ever - just the fifth Russian - to reach 1,000 points, all before his 33rd birthday. Not bad for someone who wasn't considered one of the 100 greatest players of all time.

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