Evgeni Malkin Named the NHL’s Second Star for October

Evgeni Malkin helped the Pittsburgh Penguins skate to a 6-2-2 record in the month of October, good enough for a one-point lead in the Metropolitan Division heading into November. Malkin was rewarded for his high-scoring efforts by being named the NHL’s Second Star for October.

Last season, Malkin led the Penguins and ranked fourth in the NHL with 98 points. His first 10 games of this year have him on pace to exceed those numbers. Malkin wrapped up the month of October with 19 points (6G-13A), tying him with Boston’s Patrice Bergeron for the second-highest total in the NHL behind Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen, who had 21 points.

Malkin was both dominant and consistent during the opening month, recording at least one point in nine of 10 games, including six multiple-point efforts. He had four games with at least three points, the most of any NHL player thus far. Malkin is currently riding an eight-game point streak (5G-11A-16PTS).

Dating back to last season, this marks the third time in the past four regular-season calendar months that Malkin has been named one of the NHL’s Three Stars. During his second-half scoring spree to conclude last year, Malkin was the league’s First Star for January and the Second Star of February.

Since January 1, 2018, Malkin is tied with two-time defending NHL scoring champion Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers with 81 points. They have a nine-point advantage over third-place Rantanen.

This marks the second time this week that a Penguins player has won a league honor. Captain Sidney Crosby, who owns a five-game point streak and has multiple points in his past four-straight contests, was named the First Star for last week. Crosby led all players in that seven-day span ending October 28 with five goals and seven points.

Tonight, Malkin takes aim at Rantanen’s top spot on the scoring charts when he and the Penguins wrap up a home-and-home series against the New York Islanders at 7:00 PM at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Fans can watch the game on AT&T SportsNet or listen on 105.9 The X.