Sidney Crosby made history on Sunday night as he surpassed Mario Lemieux's Pittsburgh franchise career record for assists during the Penguins' 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders.
Crosby's milestone moment came on Michael Bunting's power-play goal, marking his 1,034th assist in his illustrious career. This achievement places him 12th in NHL history for assists, with only three players ahead of him in terms of assists with a single team: Ray Bourque, Wayne Gretzky, and Steve Yzerman.
The Penguins' captain achieved this feat in his 1,310th regular-season game, surpassing Lemieux's 915-game record. Evgeni Malkin also contributed to the win with a crucial power-play goal in the third period.
Pittsburgh's power-play success continued, with 14 goals in their last 13 games. Anthony Beauvillier scored for the Islanders, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Penguins' lead.
In a notable moment, defenseman Nathan Clurman made his NHL debut in the absence of Kris Letang, who was sidelined due to a lower-body injury.
Anders Lee scored twice for the Islanders in the third period, but their comeback fell short as the Penguins held on for the win.
Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made 29 saves in his first start since December 17, 2021, while Marcus Hogberg stopped 38 shots in his first start since April 28, 2021.
Key Takeaways
Islanders: Have lost five of their last eight games after splitting the back-to-back series with Pittsburgh.
Penguins: Bounced back from a recent loss to the Islanders, winning 10 of their last 15 games.
Key Moment
A pivotal moment in the game occurred when Crosby set up Bunting for a power-play goal, extending the Penguins' lead to 2-0 early in the second period.
Upcoming Games
Both teams will be in action again on Tuesday, with Pittsburgh visiting Detroit and the Islanders starting a home-and-home series against Toronto.
For more NHL coverage, visit AP NHL.
