Penguins C Evgeni Malkin plays in 1,000th NHL game

CHICAGO (AP) — Pittsburgh forward Evgeni Malkin has played in his 1,000th NHL game, becoming the 11th player to reach the milestone with the Penguins. Malkin made his debut with Pittsburgh on Oct. 18, 2006, scoring in the second period of a 2-1 loss to New Jersey. The center helped the Penguins to Stanley Cup titles in 2009, 2016 and 2017. It looked as if Malkin was going to try free agency for the first time last summer. But he decided to stay in Pittsburgh for a four-year contract worth $6.1 million annually. Now he joins teammate Sidney Crosby as the only players with 1,000 games for the Penguins.