Evgeni Malkin put on a masterclass performance Saturday night as the Pittsburgh Penguins demolished the Florida Panthers 9-4, dashing the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions’ bid for a three-peat. Malkin recorded his 14th career hat trick and added an assist, becoming just the 23rd player in NHL history to reach 1,400 career points.
The Panthers entered the season with dreams of joining the New York Islanders of the early 1980s as the first team to win three straight Cups. But injuries and inconsistent goaltending derailed those ambitions, and Saturday’s loss sealed Florida’s fate: missing the playoffs for the first time in four years.
Meanwhile, the Penguins, returning to form after three consecutive playoff absences, strengthened their hold on second place in the Metropolitan Division. Pittsburgh exploded early in the second period, scoring four goals in under 10 minutes to turn a 2-2 tie into a commanding lead. Anthony Mantha netted his 31st goal of the season just 1:51 into the period, followed by Malkin striking twice in less than three minutes to put the game out of reach.
Erik Karlsson contributed a goal and three assists, while Noel Acciari and Elmer Soderblom each added a goal and an assist. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby tallied two assists, moving past Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman into seventh place on the NHL’s all-time scoring list with 1,756 points.
Goaltender Artur Silovs stopped 19 shots and had little work to do after Pittsburgh chased Sergei Bobrovsky following Soderblom’s third goal in just his 15th game since being acquired from Detroit.
For the Panthers, it was a stark end to a season that began with championship aspirations, highlighting how injuries and lapses in net play can derail even the most talented roster. For the Penguins, it was a statement victory — a sign that Pittsburgh is ready to make noise in the postseason once again.
