CHICAGO -- Evgeni Malkin said that this game was "a little bit hard" for him.
"It was a very emotional night," he said. "A new experience."
When the puck dropped Sunday night in Chicago, Malkin became just the second player in Penguins franchise history to hit the 1,000-game mark.
There were some pregame tears shed in the locker room before the game, and the Penguins' 4-3 win over the Blackhawks didn't come easily. In the end, it couldn't have been more fitting that it was Sidney Crosby who notched the late game-winner, ensuring that Malkin's night ended on a happy note.