Ryan Nugent-Hopkins reaches 600 career points as Oilers dispatch Penguins

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins reached 600 career points with his goal and assist in last night's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Edmonton Oilers comfortably won 7-2 against the Penguins, with the trio of McDavid, Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins scoring four goals among themselves. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins assisted Connor McDavid in the latter's first goal of the game. 13 minutes into the first period to tie the game at 1-1, after Kris Letang scored very early in the game.

Ryan-Nugent Hopkins scored his 28th goal of the season and 600th career point in the dying minutes of the second period. Connor McDavid returned the favor and squared a pass to the center who ripped the puck past goalie Tristan Jarry.

Kailer Yamamoto, Devin Shore and Warren Foegele joined the scoring party for the Oilers. This was Shore's first goal of the season.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins's career so far

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins was the first overall pick in the 2011 NHL entry draft and was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers. In just his first season in the league, he has 52 points from 18 goals and 34 assists in 62 games. He finished second to Aves' forward Gabriel Landeskog in the race for the Calder Trophy.

Hopkins is already having a career-season, having scored 72 points in just 59 games and is projected to hit 100 points before the end of the regular season. His previous best was the 2018-19 NHL season, where he had 69 points in 82 games.

The 29-year-old has achieved the 600-point mark in 778 career games, having scored 224 goals and 376 assists.

"It's a lot of fun to do it with this group" - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins after scoring 600 career points

After hitting the 600-point milestone after a big 7-2 win against the Penguins, Nugent-Hopkins was asked about his feelings. He replied:

"I've been lucky to be part of this group for a long time,played with some great players and to do it on a night like this where everybody is just flying and we have a great 60 minutes. It is a lot of fun to do it with this group."

When asked if he has hit his peak in the 2022-23 season, Nugent-Hopkins said:

"I think every year, like everybody else, I'm trying to get better and better, trying to work on my game. Obviously, I wanna be a two-way player and I'm still trying to find my stride and make improvements in every aspect of my game."

The trio of McDavid, Draisatl and Nugent-Hopkins are in menacing form. With these three having their way against every other team, the Edmonton Oilers look to be serious contenders for the Stanley Cup this season.