Evgeni Malkin broke his drought of no goals with a huge game winner. PITTSBURGH - You may not have realized it, but Evgeni Malkin has been one of the most consistent producers for the Pittsburgh Penguins since the start of December. Through the Penguins first six games in the final month of the calendar year, Malkin has quietly recorded nine points. A five-game point streak was extended to six with his game winning goal over the Dallas Stars, and oddly enough, that was Malkin’s first goal of note since his 1,000th game. Malkin obviously scored the shootout winner the following game against the Calgary Flames, but that doesn’t get recorded in his stat line. In his nine games without a goal, Malkin recorded eight assists, all coming during his recent point streak. The effort was there for Malkin, he rifled 27 shots on goal during that stretch, but nothing was going in. Malkin was finally able to not only capitalize with a goal, but the game winner to extend his point streak. “I’m glad I broke my series of great games and not scoring,” Malking said. “I know it’s coming. Just be patient and use my chance.” Malkin’s line as a whole seemed to go a little stale with dips in 5-on-5 production, but they were still driving play. The game winning goal from Malkin, much the P.O. Joseph’s goal, was the result of continuous hard work. “I thought Geno’s line in particular was really good,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “And Geno, he’s the guy that drives that line.” A six-game point streak may not seem like much considering what Mitch Marner and Jason Robertson have been able to do this year, but it’s something to build off of. A lot has gone the Penguins way in the last six games and that due in no small part to Malkin; their winning streak has hit six, with power play goals in each of those wins, and six of Malkin’s eight assists during that time have been with a man advantage. The Penguins have been benefitting and finding a great deal of success from Malkin’s production, no matter if it’s goals or assists. Make sure you bookmark Inside the Penguins [http://insidethepenguins.com/]for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more! Two Penguins on Major Trophy Trajectory [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/podcasts/pittsburgh-penguins-major-trophy-trajectory] P.O. Joseph's Confidence with Penguins Can't be Ignored [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-po-joseph-confidence-cannot-ignore] Tristan Jarry Continues Run of Dominance in Net for Penguins [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-tristan-jarry-continues-dominating-run] Evgeni Malkin Scores Late to Give Penguins Victory in Playoff-Like Game [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-evgeni-malkin-scores-late-victory-playoff-like-game] Penguins to Make History, Wear LGBTQ+ Jerseys Before Stars Game [https://www.si.com/nhl/penguins/news/pittsburgh-penguins-make-history-lgbtq-jersey-stars] * undefined * undefined
