In a thrilling matchup on Sunday night, Sidney Crosby etched his name deeper into the Pittsburgh Penguins' history books by surpassing Mario Lemieux's franchise career record for assists. Crosby achieved this milestone with a perfectly executed backhand feed to Michael Bunting during a power play, contributing to the Penguins' 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders. With this assist, Crosby now has a total of 1,034 assists, placing him 12th on the NHL's all-time list. Remarkably, he is now only behind legends Ray Bourque, Wayne Gretzky, and Steve Yzerman for assists with a single team.
The 37-year-old Crosby's achievement is particularly impressive given he has played 1,310 regular-season games, compared to Lemieux's 915. The Penguins showcased their strength with Evgeni Malkin netting the decisive power-play goal in the third period. This victory marks Pittsburgh's seventh win in their last eight home games, bolstered by their impressive power-play performance, scoring 14 goals in their last 13 games.
On the other side, the Islanders struggled to maintain momentum despite a spirited comeback effort led by Anders Lee, who scored two goals in the third period. However, their rally fell short as they faced a 3-0 deficit before narrowing the gap. Goaltender Marcus Hogberg made 38 saves in his first start since April 2021, while Alex Nedeljkovic made 29 saves for the Penguins in his first start since December 17. The Penguins look to continue their winning ways as they prepare to face the Detroit Red Wings, while the Islanders will start a home-and-home series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
