evgeni malkin player of the month goals

Evgeni Malkin's strong start to 2018 earned him the NHL's First Star of the month for January.
Malkin led all players in the league with 12 goals, three more than second-place Patrice Bergeron. Malkin's 12 goals equaled the highest single-month total of his career (also January 2012 and January 2008). Malkin's 19 points (12G-7A) were second in the league, only trailing teammate Sidney Crosby (3G-18A-21PTS).

Going back further, Malkin has 19 goals since December 1, which also leads the league. Malkin's team-leading 26 goals on the season are just four less than Alexander Ovechkin, who leads the NHL with 30 goals.
Malkin had back-to-back multi-goal games on two occasions in January, all of which the Pens went on to win. His three game-winners in January were tied for second, and his seven on the season lead the NHL. Malkin's four power-play goals this month helped Pittsburgh remain the top power-play unit in the league, sitting at 26.7%. They also run his season total to 12, which is tied for the league lead.
Malkin's 55 points this season are third on the team and only nine shy of the league lead. His 1.15 points per game average is tied for fifth in the NHL.
With the help of Malkin, Crosby and Phil Kessel, the latter two of whom were named NHL Stars of the Week on separate occasions earlier in January, the Penguins were able to exit January with a 9-3 record, their nine wins a league-best for the month. Their 18 points last month tied the Boston Bruins for first.