Overview
- In the first period against Montreal, Crosby deflected an Erik Karlsson shot to tie Lemieux and later recorded a power-play assist on Rickard Rakell’s goal for point No. 1,724 and eighth on the NHL all-time points list.
- The Penguins won 4-3 in a shootout to halt an eight-game slide, with Rickard Rakell netting the deciding attempt after posting a goal and an assist in regulation.
- A video tribute from Lemieux played at PPG Paints Arena, highlighting his mentor-turned-teammate bond with Crosby and the symbolic handoff between franchise icons.
- Two days later in Toronto, Crosby logged his 1,080th assist to pass Adam Oates for eighth on the NHL assists list, bringing his career ledger to 645 goals and 1,725 points in 1,387 games.
- Lemieux totaled 1,723 points in 915 games by comparison, and Crosby remains 45 goals shy of Lemieux’s franchise goals mark while ranking third all-time for points with a single NHL team.