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Evgeni Malkin's postgame quote about his future changes everything for the Penguins
Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
Evgeni Malkin wants one more year, and the Pittsburgh Penguins just torched Edmonton as his 12-27-39 line fuels the contract buzz.
Pittsburgh walked into Edmonton on Thursday and dropped a 6-2 statement that felt louder than the score.
Malkin didn't hide behind the usual veteran quotes afterward. He flat-out said he wants to prove he can still play next year.
That matters because the vibe around his future has been floating for months. Now the player is putting his own stamp on it.
The win itself was a track meet early, with Pittsburgh scoring three times in 37 seconds.
Malkin backed the words with points, a goal and an assist in Edmonton.
He's up to 12 goals and 27 assists in 35 games, plus-15, with 88 shots.
And the "one more year" part came with a key detail, it was tied to a question about how well he's skating.
Evgeni Malkin puts the Pittsburgh Penguins on notice
If you're a Penguins fan, you've got that mix of joy and fear, because you can see the old magic, and you don't want the clock to win.
His second-period burst in Edmonton came fast, and it killed any Oilers push before it could breathe.
Tactically, it's the same story, when Malkin's feet are there, his delay game opens seams on the man advantage and on the rush.
He also sounded like a guy who still loves the grind of winning, not someone planning goodbye speeches.
Next up is Vancouver on Sunday, and this becomes the test, can Pittsburgh keep the legs and keep Geno cooking.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 23|195 ANSWERS Evgeni Malkin's postgame quote about his future changes everything for the Penguins Should the Pittsburgh Penguins give Evgeni Malkin one more year? | ||
| Yes | 185 | 94.9 % |
| No | 10 | 5.1 % |
| List of polls | ||