Sidney Crosby is now 10th alone on the NHL’s all-time scoring list. With a goal and two assists against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, he passed the great Phil Esposito in points with his 1,591st and recorded his 1,000th career assist in the process. He had tied the legend in the second period with his 41st goal of the season but passed him with his helper on Erik Karlsson’s overtime winner to send the Pittsburgh Penguins home with a crucial 6-5 victory.
With his latest apple, Crosby became the 14th player in NHL history to record 1,000 assists and required the seventh-fewest games to do so at 1,269. He is also the seventh player to record 1,000 with one franchise, joining Ray Bourque, Wayne Gretzky, Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe, and Joe Sakic.
The Penguins had a 5-3 lead after Jeff Carter scored shorthanded at the beginning of the third period, but goals from Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond tied the game and sent it to overtime. With the Red Wings and Penguins locked into a battle for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, this game was a big one for Crosby and his teammates. They almost lost a valuable point after blowing the two-goal lead, but Crosby and Karlsson came to the rescue and they are now in a playoff spot once again – one point ahead of the Washington Capitals, who lost to the Buffalo Sabres.
The ageless wonder now has 41 goals and 89 points in 79 games and continues to show that age is just a number as he approaches his 37th birthday. We will see if the Penguins can give him one more chance at a Stanley Cup before his legendary career comes to an end. They have three more games remaining with the Boston Bruins (April 13), Nashville Predators (April 15), and New York Islanders (April 17) on tap before the playoffs begin on April 20.