As Wayne Gretzky’s time away from the game continues to grow, the Great One’s lengthy list of NHL records are being surpassed.
Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby erased one on Thursday night by recording his 80th point, assuring him of finishing at a point-per-game pace for the 18th time.
Crosby’s parents were at the rink in Buffalo as Sid the Kid scored midway through the first period, using his right skate to kick the puck onto his stick and, in one motion, snapping a shot inside the right post.
The career highlight during the Penguins’ 72nd game occurred as the team was dumped by the Buffalo Sabres 7-3, putting a damper on the celebrations. Crosby has now scored 26 goals while also recording 54 assists in the season.
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“He’s a tremendous, special player and person,” teammate Bryan Rust said. “There’s a lot of people who can be good for one, two, five years. But to do it for that long, I think is incredibly special.”
It has taken Crosby 20 seasons to make the mark after he missed two seasons due to injuries. He credits a willingness to evolve for his consistency over the past two decades.
“I think you have to continue to get better and learn, even after this long, you’ve got to continue to evolve and adjust,” Crosby said. “But I’ve been pretty lucky to play with some great players over that 20 years. And I think that’s a big part of it, too.”
The Penguins are currently six points out of a playoff spot and appear to be on the cusp of missing the playoffs for a third straight season, but Crosby has been on fire as of late as the Penguins captain looks to close that gap.
The Pittsburgh star has nine goals and 22 points in 17 outings since the 4 Nations Tournament, although his team has lost 11 times over that span.
Crosby was the first overall pick in 2004, a year after the Washington Capitals chose Alex Ovechkin with the first overall pick and the two have been somewhat paired ever since.
Ovechkin is also closing in on another of Gretzky’s records as he nears his all-time goal-scoring mark, having now reached 889 goals. He will need another six goals to break Gretzky’s regular-season record.
— With files from the Associated Press
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