Sidney Crosby shot his way into NHL history Tuesday night in Pittsburgh. The Penguins star became the 46th player to reach 500 goals after his first-period score against the Flyers. He and Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin are the only active NHL players with at least 500 goals.
The play Pittsburgh fans will long remember came at the 16:34 mark of the first period when forward Evgeni Malkin set up Crosby with a nice pass on the power play, allowing Crosby to fire the puck past goaltender Carter Hart. Once the puck hit the net, the PPG Paints Arena crowd erupted and Crosby's teammates cleared the bench to celebrate the historic accomplishment.
The goal was Crosby's 14th of the season, a number that would likely be much higher if he didn't miss the beginning of the season while recovering from wrist surgery.
Crosby entered the game with 499 career goals over his 17 NHL seasons and 1,076 games, all of which he spent with the Penguins. Hockey Hall of Famer Mark Recchi, a member of the 500-goal club himself, explained how difficult the path to 500 is on Monday.
"To score every other game, it is hard," said Recchi, who scored his 500th goal off a Crosby assist in 2007. "To be that consistent over the course of 17 years now is just incredible."
Penguins alumni and current players have closely watched Crosby's hunt for 500. Center Jake Guentzel said he's learned "so much" from Crosby over their six years together in Pittsburgh, including one that ended with a Stanley Cup finals win in 2017. Hockey Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux has also kept a keen eye on Crosby, and he wouldn't be surprised if the two-time Hart Trophy winner inched closer to his 690 career goals.
"I've been able to witness most of the incredible goals over the years," said Lemieux, the only other player to score 500-plus goals for the Penguins, "and I'm sure there'll be plenty more in the future."
Crosby's Penguins currently trail the Flyers, 3-2, in the second period. A win would only add to Crosby's special night, as it would improve his team's Metropolitan Division-leading 30-11-8 record.
