NHL Notebook: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin reach major milestones

Moreover, Evgeni Malkin scored his 500th-career goal on Wednesday , which gave the Penguins a 4-3 lead, later winning the game 6-5 in overtime. Malkin joined the National Hockey League a season after Crosby and has played 1,150 games with 1,307 points, winning the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy, and Ted Lindsay Award in 2011-12 when Crosby was dealing with the aforementioned concussions.

The two players are in the twilight of their careers, as Crosby is 37 and Malkin is 38. They are looking to snap a playoff drought of two seasons and have started the season 3-2-0 after Wednesday’s win over the Sabres.

Ryan McLeod scored his first goal as a Sabre

Speaking of the Sabres, former Edmonton Oiler Ryan McLeod scored his first goal for the team in the game.

McLeod was drafted in the second round of the 2018 draft by the Oilers, making his debut in 2020-21. His career-best season came in 2023-24, where he scored 12 goals and 30 points in 81 games, up from the 11 goals and 23 points in 57 games the season prior.

In early July, the Oilers traded him along with Tyler Tulio to the Sabres for Matthew Savoie to clear some cap and re-sign Adam Henrique as their third-line centre. While the trade may not benefit the Oilers for a while, Savoie was selected ninth overall in 2022 and already had an assist in one American Hockey League game.

Savoie won the Ed Chynoweth Cup with the Moose Jaw Warriors last season, scoring 10 goals and 24 points in 19 postseason games, but fell short in the Memorial Cup semifinals.

Jake Oettinger signs an eight-year extension

The Dallas Stars have re-signed their young starting netminder, Jake Oettinger, to an eight-year deal worth $66 million, or $8.25 million annually.

Oettinger was selected 26th overall by the Stars in the 2017 draft, with the Minnesota native making his National Hockey League debut in the 2020 postseason. He was the team’s 1B during the 2020-21 season, posting a .911 save percentage and a 2.36 goals-against average. In 2021-22, Oettinger took over the reins as the starting goalie, finishing the season with a .914 save percentage and a 2.53 goals-against average.

The 2022-23 season was Oettinger’s best, as he had a .919 save percentage and a 2.35 goals-against average in 62 games played, along with a 37-11-11 record. However, he took a step back in 2023-24, finishing the year with a career-worst .905 save percentage and a 2.72 goals-against average in 54 games.

So far in the young season, Oettinger has a .948 save percentage and a 1.63 goals-against average in three games.

Sam Honzek out week-to-week

Calgary Flames forward Samuel Honzek is out week-to-week after suffering a big hit from Connor Murphy of the Chicago Blackhawks in Tuesday’s game.

One of the biggest storylines early in the season is the fact that fellow Albertan team, the Calgary Flames, have gone 4-0-0 to start the season, with wins over the Vancouver Canucks, Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers, and Chicago Blackhawks.

Honzek, a Slovakia native, was the team’s first-round pick in the 2023 draft, with the Flames taking the left winger 16th overall. In four games this season, Honzek has been held pointless with a 0 +/-.

Still, he played well in preseason to earn this opportunity and the Flames hope his injury isn’t a long-term one.