Malkin: He won’t be first, but he won’t give up second place either
The historic moment came in the 35th minute of the game, in which Pittsburgh hosted the New York Rangers. Sidney Crosby delivered a powerful pass to the left to his friend Evgeni Malkin, and Gino landed an incredibly accurate wrist shot into the far corner.
And it wasn’t just one goal that helped the Penguins earn an important home win against a Big Six team. And it wasn’t just Malkin who knocked on Igor Shesterkin’s doors. The fact is that Zhenya overtook Sergei Fedorov in the historical list of the best Russian scorers in the history of the NHL.
1. Alexander Ovechkin – 1446;
2. Evgeny Malkin – 1179;
2. Sergei Fedorov – 1179;
4. Alexander Mogilny – 1032;
5. Alexei Kovalev – 1029.
Yes, only five people pierced a thousand Russians. Whether Malkin will ever get Ovechkin is anyone’s guess, but second place has long been reserved for him.
The closest pursuer is Nikita Kucherov (663), but if he goes ahead, not until eight years later – somewhere in the roaring or quiet 30s of the 21st century.
Fedorov: “We have different careers with Zhenya”
The other day, asked Sergei Fedorov what he thought of Gino.
– Malkin can beat you in points in the next games and become the second Russian scorer in the NHL in terms of performance. Don’t you think your career and Zhenya’s are somewhat similar? Both have three Stanley Cups. Only he always wanted to stay in Pittsburgh, and you wanted to leave Detroit.
– I agree, there are common parameters, but careers are always different. In terms of what I wanted out of Detroit, not exactly. I did, but Malkin didn’t. And as for records, he always said they had to be broken. Because the new generation is always better, it is more educated both sportingly and technically. Therefore, I am happy for Zhenya, God bless him. The main thing is that there are no injuries and only forward.
Imagine a fantastic situation. You can take Malkin or Fedorov to CSKA. Who are you going to choose?
– There is no need to fantasize, since Fedorov played in the NHL, and Malkin plays there now. Therefore, we will work with these guys who are with us now. We believe in them, they can do a lot.
Ten parallels: Feds versus Gino
Nevertheless, Fedorov and Malkin, as hockey players, are somewhat similar. “” names 10 moments where you can draw a parallel.
1. Fedorov and Malkin – centre-forwards
Banal, but true. A rare role for Russian hockey. There are seven center forwards among the top 20 Russian scorers in NHL history. Besides Malkin and Fedorov (1179 points each), these are Pavel Datsyuk (918), Alexei Yashin (781), Alexei Zhamnov (719), Igor Larionov (644), Viktor Kozlov (537). Curiously, four of them now work as coaches in Russia. This suggests that centre-forward thinking and systems thinking is what you need.
2. Left for America with a Scandal
Fedorov left the USSR national team in 1991 at the Goodwill Games in Seattle. Malkin, with a valid contract with Metallurg, left for Pittsburgh, and there was even a lawsuit for this story. However, that only goes to say that the path to two stars in the NHL as in the league of highest achievements has not been easy. But they would still be there. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be talked about now, as great champions of all time.
3. They both have three Stanley Cups
Fedorov became a three-time NHL champion with Detroit (1997, 1998, 2002), Malkin won three “cups” with Pittsburgh (2009, 2016, 2017). At the same time, Gino has a chance to win the fourth Stanley Cup, setting, it seems now, an absolutely unattainable record for Russian hockey.
4. Playoff Kings
The Detroit Dynasty misfired several times on the way to the first trophy, but Fedorov scored at least 20 playoff points for four straight years. 1995 – 24 points, but lost in the New Jersey Finals. 1996 – 20 points, but eliminated by Colorado in the semi-finals. 1997 and 1998 – 20 points each, and Detroit won the title twice. And in the championship in 2002, Fedorov scored 19 points, although the Red Wings were full of stars, and there was someone to score. Malkin also appeared in four Stanley Cup Finals, where he scored a total of 104 points. Incredible numbers! 2008 – 22 points and loss to Detroit, 2009 – 36 points, title and Conn Smythe Trophy, playoff MVP award. 2016 – 18 points and the title, 2017 – 28 points and the title.
5. Played at legendary clubs
Detroit is a Big Six team, where the legendary Gordie Howe played. Pittsburgh is a team forever associated with Mario Lemieux. All club records of Fedorov and Malkin were compared to these blocks.
6 Behind the Canadian Superstars
Detroit’s top center during the Fedorov era was captain Steve Yzerman. Pittsburgh’s best center under Malkin is captain Sidney Crosby. Which leaves an imprint, of course. This is not the best game time, and the place is only in the second link, not the best partners. Otherwise, the statistics could be more.
7. Fedorov and Malkin were about to leave the club
Sergey wanted to leave Detroit many times – and yet he did in 2003, when he moved to Anaheim. True, this led to a smooth sunset over Fedorov’s star. He spent his best years with the Red Wings. Malkin was rumored to be set to trade several times, and the latest contract offer made him nervous, as Pittsburgh didn’t want to make any concessions. But the difference between Fedorov and Malkin is that the first left and the second stayed.
8. Missed a significant part of the season
Fedorov played 21 matches in the 1997/98 season. He was on strike under a new contract and Carolina even made him an offer. Malkin spent only two full seasons in his career (2008 and 2009), and the rest of the time he was hampered by injuries of varying severity. It also directly affected the stats, explaining why Fedorov and Malkin are only second, even though they could have been first in terms of talent.
9. Were World Championship Heroes
Fedorov won three gold medals (1989, 1990, 2008). What is unique is that 19 years passed between his first and his last award. A month of Sundays! He won the first in the USSR, and the last – for Russia, when the Quebec team broke the 15-year black streak without gold. Moreover, it was Fedorov who gave the golden assist to Ilya Kovalchuk in overtime of the final with the Canadians. Malkin also won two gold medals at the world championships (2012, 2014). He put in a divine performance in the 2012 tournament where he scored 19 points (11+8) and was awarded the World Cup Most Valuable Player award.
10. Left Without an Olympic Gold Medal
Fedorov never won the Olympics, which prevented him from entering the Triple Golden Club. He was close to that in 1998, but then the Russian team lost to the Czechs (0:1). It was possible to do it as a coach in 2022, but the Russians lost to the Finns in the final (1-2). Malkin simply does not have a single Olympic medal, although he has had three attempts.
It will be interesting if their fates intertwine at the 2026 Olympics. If Russia is allowed into the Winter Games in Milan, if Fedorov remains the coach of the Russian national team, if the NHL allows hockey players to go to the Olympics, if Malkin is still fit and healthy.
Too many “ifs”. But dreaming is not harmful. Especially on such a day when Malkin once again made hockey history.
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
