Erik Karlsson had two points in the Penguins' 6-5 win over the Bruins Thursday night here in Boston -- the secondary assist on Lars Eller's first-period tally, and the lone helper on Sidney Crosby's game-winner on the power play:
The latter assist was a big one in more ways than one. It was Karlsson's 787th career point, tying Maple Leafs legend Borje Salming for the second-most points by a Swedish defenseman in NHL history.
"I've been around for a long time, it's nice," Karlsson told me. "It means I'm getting old. I've done a lot of good stuff in the past, so I'm hoping to keep it moving and try to add to it."
Salming was a trailblazer for Swedish hockey players when he moved to North America in 1973-74. European players had a reputation of being soft, and Swedes in particular had to deal with the "Chicken Swede" moniker. Salming's tough style of play over his 17 NHL seasons got rid of that stereotype for good. He became the first Swedish player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996.
Tying Salming for second on a scoring list of Swedish defensemen might seem like a small thing, but it's not to the Swedes who followed in his footsteps.
"It's something you'll have forever," Karlsson said. "You can't erase the past, he was a tremendous individual for our country, within hockey and outside of hockey as well after his playing career. It's nice just to be mentioned just anywhere near his name. He's a household name, not just in Sweden but the hockey world in general. He was someone that made a big, big impact on on the game for his time, he helped shape it to what it is today."
Marcus Pettersson, a fellow Swedish defenseman, sits next to Karlsson in the locker room. He overheard bits and pieces of our conversation, and interjected to ask what record we were talking about. I explained it to him, and Pettersson's face lit up. He stood up and shook Karlsson's hand to congratulate him on the achievement.
Next up on the list of Swedish defenseman is Nicklas Lidstrom, who has a comfortable 355-point cushion at 1,142 points.
"I guess I've got to play for a little bit longer," Karlsson quipped after asking how many points it'd take to be No. 1.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
THE ASYLUM
Taylor Haase
10:42 pm - 01.04.2024BostonKarlsson ties Salming in points
Erik Karlsson had two points in the Penguins' 6-5 win over the Bruins Thursday night here in Boston -- the secondary assist on Lars Eller's first-period tally, and the lone helper on Sidney Crosby's game-winner on the power play:
The latter assist was a big one in more ways than one. It was Karlsson's 787th career point, tying Maple Leafs legend Borje Salming for the second-most points by a Swedish defenseman in NHL history.
"I've been around for a long time, it's nice," Karlsson told me. "It means I'm getting old. I've done a lot of good stuff in the past, so I'm hoping to keep it moving and try to add to it."
Salming was a trailblazer for Swedish hockey players when he moved to North America in 1973-74. European players had a reputation of being soft, and Swedes in particular had to deal with the "Chicken Swede" moniker. Salming's tough style of play over his 17 NHL seasons got rid of that stereotype for good. He became the first Swedish player to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996.
Tying Salming for second on a scoring list of Swedish defensemen might seem like a small thing, but it's not to the Swedes who followed in his footsteps.
"It's something you'll have forever," Karlsson said. "You can't erase the past, he was a tremendous individual for our country, within hockey and outside of hockey as well after his playing career. It's nice just to be mentioned just anywhere near his name. He's a household name, not just in Sweden but the hockey world in general. He was someone that made a big, big impact on on the game for his time, he helped shape it to what it is today."
Marcus Pettersson, a fellow Swedish defenseman, sits next to Karlsson in the locker room. He overheard bits and pieces of our conversation, and interjected to ask what record we were talking about. I explained it to him, and Pettersson's face lit up. He stood up and shook Karlsson's hand to congratulate him on the achievement.
Next up on the list of Swedish defenseman is Nicklas Lidstrom, who has a comfortable 355-point cushion at 1,142 points.
"I guess I've got to play for a little bit longer," Karlsson quipped after asking how many points it'd take to be No. 1.
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits! Make your voice heard on the Steelers, Penguins and Pirates, and hear right back from tens of thousands of fellow Pittsburgh sports fans worldwide! Plus, access all our premium content, including Dejan Kovacevic columns, Friday Insider, daily Live Qs with the staff, more! And yeah, that's right, no ads at all!
We’d love to have you!