Malkin: ‘We don’t want a long summer again’

It wasn’t the prettiest goal Evgeni Malkin scored.

In fact, it wasn’t even really a goal. Not officially, at least.

But when Malkin banged in a rebound off a blocked shot behind goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov during a scrimmage on the second day of the Pittsburgh Penguins training camp Tuesday in Cranberry, he roared as if he scored the winning goal in Game 3 of a heated second-round playoff series against a vexing divisional rival.

All of this is still fun for Malkin as he enters the 19th season of his dazzling existence as an NHL superstar.

Even if the past two seasons haven’t offered much reason for jubilation.

“My personality, it’s win every game,” Malkin said. “It’s what I do all my life. The last two seasons, it’s not fun when we lost. We (did) not make the playoffs. It’s not great for the city, not great for fans because we have amazing fans. They support us so well. Here, all leadership — me, Sid, (Letang) — we want to win every game.

“We don’t want a long summer again. We want to play in the playoffs. Any team can win in the playoffs, the Stanley Cup.”

Along with forward Sidney Crosby and defenseman Kris Letang, Malkin has been one of the colonnades of the greatest era in the franchise’s history. And that shared history will last a few more years, at least, after Crosby signed a two-year contract extension that keeps him in the Penguins’ employ through the 2026-27 season.

Malkin, who enters the 2024-25 campaign with 498 career goals, has two years remaining on his contract and has every intention of making them count.

“I don’t want to be here the next two years and just play my game, just score 500 goals and do nothing after,” Malkin said. “I want to be here to win. My goal this summer and preseason, help the team make the playoffs for sure. I don’t want to stay outside the playoffs. Sid thinks the same way and (Letang) as well.”

What distinguishes Malkin from his fellow luminaries on this team is his age. At 38, he is the oldest player on this roster.

While the Penguins still figure to have a lineup dotted with a bunch of 30-somethings, there was a considerable effort by management to inject some youth — including a handful of promising prospects from his native Russia — into the organization this offseason.

“I happy to be here around young guys,” Malkin said. “It’s competition for me for sure. Every game. I try to do my best. Now, young guys (are) pretty good. They come to the league at 18, 19 years old and they play really good. It’s good for me. When you play around young guys, you feel young, too. I (do) not feel I am the oldest guy in here.”

Malkin’s age hasn’t impacted his trademark wit. He noted he and Crosby haven’t missed any games each of the past two seasons.

“It’s so funny, when me and Sid play 82 games, we didn’t make the playoffs,” Malkin said. “Maybe I’ll miss one game this year.”

Appearing in every game during the 2023-24 campaign, Malkin’s production sagged as he generated 67 points (27 goals, 40 assists), the lowest such figure in his career aside from seasons disrupted by external factors (the pandemic and work stoppages) or his own major injuries (namely, his twice-surgically repaired right knee).

The days of winning MVP awards or scoring races are decidedly in the past for Malkin. But he’s still a dangerous entity as the Penguins’ second- line center.

“(Malkin) has been a star in this league for a very long time, and he absolutely still has it,” said forward Michael Bunting, who skated on Malkin’s line late last season. “If you watch him with the puck, he creates so much. He’s so offensive, and he’s such a threat anytime that he gets it.”

Of course, being an offensive threat isn’t the only component of being a top-six center in the NHL. Arguably, no position demands more complete proficiency — i.e. two-way play — than center.

“Where we challenge him a lot behind the scenes is just his overall team game, his game away from the puck, his cooperative play with his teammates, playing with structure, those types of things,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “And he’s very capable. When he plays the game within the concept of how we’re trying to play as a group, I think not only is he more successful, but our team is also. That’s something that I think he has more of an understanding now than he maybe did in his younger years.

“In a lot of ways, he’s a wiser version of himself.”

Malkin is sage enough to know he can offer more off the ice as well.

“Try to be (a leader) a little bit more,” Malkin said. “I have great experience. I’m the oldest guy on the team. Now, there’s a couple of Russian guys here, young guys. Be a leader in the locker room. It’s good for me to start to do a little bit better in the locker room. Talk to guys, help the coaches. This is what I can do.”

And he’s still confident in his ability to do what he’s done on the rink since arriving in Pittsburgh as a 19-year-old in 2006.

“I feel pretty good on the ice as well,” Malkin said. “I’m still hungry. I still want every game. My goal is one, two points every game.”