Congratulations, Geno.
Evgeni Malkin hit a milestone Tuesday, becoming the ninth Russian-born player in NHL history to reach 800 points.
"I'm old," the 30-year-old said of the occasion.
After a goal and an assist, Malkin's 801 points place him ninth on the all-time Russian scorers leaderboard. And he'll be in sole possession of seventh place in a few weeks.
| Rank | Russian Player | NHL Points | GP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sergei Fedorov | 1179 | 1248 |
| 2 | Alexander Mogilny | 1032 | 990 |
| 3 | Alexei Kovalev | 1029 | 1316 |
| 4 | Alex Ovechkin | 992 | 872 |
| 5 | Pavel Datsyuk | 918 | 953 |
| 6 | Vyacheslav Kozlov | 853 | 1182 |
| 7 | Ilya Kovalchuk | 816 | 816 |
| 8 | Sergei Gonchar | 811 | 1301 |
| 9 | Malkin | 801 | 680 |
Here's where it gets interesting, especially in comparison to Alex Ovechkin, who was drafted first overall in 2004 by the Washington Capitals, with Malkin going second to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
| Player | Points Per Game | GP | G | A | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malkin | 1.18 | 680 | 310 | 491 | 811 |
| Ovechkin | 1.14 | 872 | 541 | 451 | 992 |
Only five Russians have managed at least a point per game in their careers, and Malkin's 1.18 average is best:
| Player | Points Per Game | GP |
|---|---|---|
| Malkin | 1.18 | 680 |
| Ovechkin | 1.14 | 872 |
| Pavel Bure | 1.11 | 702 |
| Mogilny | 1.04 | 990 |
| Kovalchuk | 1.00 | 816 |
Yeah, it was a real shame injuries cut Pavel Bure's career short. He was incredible.
But back to business: Malkin's in his 11th season in the league, while Ovechkin's in his 12th. Ovie gets a ton of headlines because of his ability to score - he'll go down as the best pure Russian goal-scorer, and likely the second-best goal-scorer of all time behind Wayne Gretzky. And more headlines are on their way, as he's set to hit the 1,000-point mark early in 2017.
Malkin, though, has put together a stellar career, despite being dogged by injuries throughout his time in black and gold. He was healthy in his first three seasons, accumulating 304 points in his first 242 games. Since 2009-10, though, he's played more than 70 games in a season only once, in 2011-12, when he finished with 109 points in 75 games, winning the Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy. At 1.45 points per game, it was the finest season of his career.
Ovechkin bettered that 1.45 mark in 2009-10, when he averaged 1.51 points per game, finishing with 109 in 72 games. He's got four 100-point seasons to his credit, while Malkin has three. Malkin's scored 50 once, while Ovechkin's done it an absurd seven times.
Lastly, when comparing the two, there are three things Malkin has that Ovechkin covets: Stanley Cup rings and a Conn Smythe Trophy.
This season, Malkin's healthy. He's played in all 36 Penguins games, and is tied with Sidney Crosby for the team lead in scoring with 41 points. Geno's on pace for 93 points - easily his highest total since that special 2011-12 season.
Malkin and Ovechkin are two of the best players in hockey - of that there's little doubt. But it's definitely interesting to look at their careers side by side and wonder: If the Capitals could do it again, would they pick No. 8 or No. 71?
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