Seventeen years ago today, Evgeni Malkin put on a show with one of the most remarkable goals of his career in the Eastern Conference Final.
In 2009, the Penguins stormed back to the Stanley Cup Final by blowing past the Carolina Hurricanes in the Conference Final, thanks in part to Evgeni Malkin’s spectacular play with six goals in the four games of the series.
The most special of those six goals came during the Penguins’ 7-4 win in Game 2 of the series.
The Penguins had trailed 3-2 in the game before
jumping back out to a 5-3 lead, but Carolina wouldn’t go quietly, drawing back within a goal to make it 5-4 early in the third period.
That’s when Evgeni Malkin made headlines with a special goal, his third of the game.
“Oh my word!” Joe Beninati said on the call. “Evgeni Malkin….spectacular for the hat trick!”
Malkin’s hat-trick goal gave the Penguins a bigger lead, one that they never gave up for the rest of the game, going on to win Games 3 and 4 on the road, and punching their ticket to the Stanley Cup Final.
