Sidney Crosby etched his name further into hockey legend on Monday night, becoming only the ninth player in NHL history to reach the 1,700-point milestone. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain achieved the feat during a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues at PPG Paints Arena, adding another remarkable chapter to his already illustrious career.
Crosby entered the game with 1,698 career points and wasted little time in reaching the milestone. He assisted on Bryan Rust's goal 42 seconds into the third period, marking his 1,700th point. Crosby also assisted on Parker Wotherspoon's goal earlier in the game. He capped off the night by scoring a goal himself on a breakaway. Crosby finished the game with one goal and two assists.
In 1,362 career games, Crosby is the fourth-fastest player to reach 1,700 points. Only Wayne Gretzky (711 games), Mario Lemieux (887 games), and Marcel Dionne (1,257 games) reached the mark faster. Crosby is the only active player with at least 1,700 points. He joins Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr, Mark Messier, Gordie Howe, Ron Francis, Dionne, Steve Yzerman, and Lemieux in the elite group.
The 38-year-old Crosby has recorded at least a point per game in all 20 of his NHL seasons. Drafted first overall by the Penguins in 2005, Crosby has spent his entire career with the franchise. He holds the team records for most games played (1,362) and assists (1,069), while his 632 goals rank second only to Lemieux's 690. Including playoff numbers, Crosby's 1,902 total points surpass Lemieux's 1,895.
The Penguins got off to a hot start, scoring twice in the first 55 seconds of the game, with goals from Rust and Anthony Mantha. However, they relinquished a two-goal lead for the second time in 10 games, allowing the Blues to tie the score by the end of the first period. Wotherspoon's first goal in black and gold gave the Penguins a 3-2 lead in the second period. After Crosby's assist to Rust made it 4-2, Mathieu Joseph pulled the Blues within one, but Crosby and Evgeni Malkin responded with goals to secure the victory.
Rust finished the game with two goals, while Crosby, Rust, and Erik Karlsson each had three points. Malkin contributed two points. Tristan Jarry stopped 26 of 29 shots, extending his personal winning streak to three games.
