Evgeni Malkin was rewarded for producing one of the finest months of his NHL career by being named November’s NHL ‘Second Star’ on Tuesday morning.

Malkin finished the month leading all NHL players in both assists (21) and points (25) – with his 21 assists the most he’s recorded in a calendar month and the most any NHL player has amassed since Wayne Gretzky did so with the Los Angeles Kings in January 1996.

Malkin’s scoring spree in November allowed him to rise from 51st (tied) in the NHL scoring race on the morning of Nov. 1 to second in the league, one point behind teammate Sidney Crosby, by the final day of the month.

Malkin, the NHL leader with 28 assists, enters December with 35 points (7G-28A), one fewer than Crosby’s total of 36 (13G-23A).

Malkin finished November riding a season-high eight-game assist/point streak (4G-13A-17PTS). His eight-game assist streak is the longest in the NHL this year. Malkin began November with assists in six-straight games (8 total) between Nov. 1-15, making him the only NHL player with two such streaks this season.

Malkin, who was NHL ‘First Star’ for each of the final two weeks in November, notched at least one point in 14 of Pittsburgh’s 15 games last month. He had eight multiple-point games.

This marks the second consecutive month that a Penguins player has been honored by the NHL. Sidney Crosby was named ‘Second Star’ for October.