Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin named NHL’s No. 1 star for second straight week

Nov 30, 2013; Sunrise, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (71) skates with the puck as Florida Panthers center

(17) purses in the first period at BB

As his productive November rolls into December, Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin continues to pile up the accolades.

Malkin, who led all NHL players with nine points (3g, 6a) from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1, was named the league’s No. 1 star for the second straight week. The 26-year-old had seven of his nine points last week in two games, with three in Wednesday’s comeback victory over Toronto and a season-best four Saturday night against Florida.

Malkin has a remarkable 17 points during his current eight-game scoring streak, a powerful burst that has carried him within one point of teammate Sidney Crosby (36 points) for the lead in the NHL’s scoring race. After a frustrating October that saw him record 10 points in 13 games, Malkin erupted for 25 points in 15 November tilts. He figures to be the favorite for the league’s first star for the month when it’s announced later this week.

In fact, Malkin’s 21 assists in November marked the first such month in the NHL since all-time leading scorer Wayne Gretzky did it in 1996. Malkin leads the league with 28 assists and will look to add to his 35 points Tuesday night on Long Island.

The first-place Penguins (18-9-1, 37 points) have won three in a row and are 6-1-1 during Malkin’s current eight-game scoring streak.