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Evgeni Malkin's feat -- a six-game goal-scoring streak to begin his NHL career -- is neat enough, but I don't think it has been made clear enough that the "rookie" record deserves to be his alone.
When Joe Malone, Cy Denneny and Newsy Lalonde did it and kept going in 1917-18, it was the first NHL season; all three had played in the National Hockey Association, which through a messy divorce (to simplify it ridiculously) became the NHL. (Morey Holzman's and Joseph Nieforth's Deceptions and Doublecross: How the NHL Conquered Hockey is a great read on that era, if you're interested.)
And what's also worth noting is that, if you were asked at gunpoint to name three players who skated in that season, those would probably be the three you'd name.
So not only has Malkin essentially annihilated the rookie record, the people who did it earlier by accident of timing are three legends of the game.
Makes you understand why they're litigating over the guy, eh?
When Joe Malone, Cy Denneny and Newsy Lalonde did it and kept going in 1917-18, it was the first NHL season; all three had played in the National Hockey Association, which through a messy divorce (to simplify it ridiculously) became the NHL. (Morey Holzman's and Joseph Nieforth's Deceptions and Doublecross: How the NHL Conquered Hockey is a great read on that era, if you're interested.)
And what's also worth noting is that, if you were asked at gunpoint to name three players who skated in that season, those would probably be the three you'd name.
So not only has Malkin essentially annihilated the rookie record, the people who did it earlier by accident of timing are three legends of the game.
Makes you understand why they're litigating over the guy, eh?
posted by Fornabaio at
5:04 PM
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