Heading into Wednesday nights battle with the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin were both just one point away from respective incredible milestones, and now, they've officially hit them. First up was Sidney Crosby, who had an assist on the first goal of the night for Pittsburgh to long-time linemate Bryan Rust, officially recording his 1,600th career NHL point, and becoming the first person to hit that mark since former Penguin Jaromir Jagr did so back in 2011.
Now, No. 87 officially has an incredible 593 goals and 1,009 assists in his stellar career, totaling 1,602 points thus far, and even though he's 37 years of age, he put up 94 points a year ago and clearly still has plenty left in the tank. From the moment that Crosby stepped foot on the ice in the NHL, he's had immense pressure on his shoulders and has delivered perfectly, becoming one of the greatest players the NHL has ever seen with a career that will quite simply never be replicated.
Next up was Evgeni Malkin, who scored one goal on the night, officially giving him 500 in a stellar career in his own right, with 1,307 points of his own through a career in Pittsburgh that dates back to the No. 2 pick in the 2004 NHL Draft.
This feat isn't quite as rare to achieve, as Malkin becomes the 48th player in history to hit the mark, following Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Steven Stamkos as the only four active players to hit the mark in the NHL. While he is often overshadowed by his captain, Malkin has been one of the best players in the NHL in his own right throughout his career and will be remembered as just as important to their three Stanley Cup wins.
The Penguins would have to work hard for a victory on the night however, as the Sabres pushed them to overtime, but ultimately it was a Sidney Crosby winner that ended the game 6-5 on the back of a classic performance from No. 71 and 87 as they combined for an impressive seven points on the night.
POLL | ||
Will these two go down as the two greatest Pittsburgh Penguins to ever play in the NHL? | ||
Yes | 146 | 61.1 % |
No | 93 | 38.9 % |
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