Sidney Crosby Sets New Franchise Mark in Penguins Win Against Islanders

Sidney Crosby continued to break records in a 3-2 win on Sunday night against the Islanders. With an assist on the second goal scored by Michael Bunting, Crosby took the all-time lead for assists on the Penguins with 1,034. After getting an assist taken away last night in Staten Island, Crosby recorded one tonight to ensure the record is his. Crosby recorded his 30th assist of the season and career assist number 1,034. 

Crosby is in his 20th season, all of them being in Pittsburgh. He has played in 1,310 games with 602 goals and 1,034 assists for a total of 1,636 career points. Crosby has a long list of accolades throughout his career, including three Stanley Cups, surpassing Mario Lemieux is one that shouldn’t be written off. Lemieux is regarded as one of the best hockey players of all time, whose career was put on pause when he was diagnosed with cancer. Mario played in 915 games, recording 690 goals and 1,033 assists for 1,723 career points. Lemieux played one season with Crsoby in his rookie year in 2005. 

There is no doubt that these two are the best Penguins of all time. Lemieux has been very impactful even after retirement, as he is still a partial owner of the team. Crosby is 37 years old, nearing the end of his career, but still has a ton to give to the Penguins. Before the season started, Crosby signed a two-year extension that keeps him in Pittsburgh until at least the end of the 2026-2027 season. Crosby and the Penguins are continuing to fight for a playoff spot with points in two of the last three despite some injuries. Pittsburgh currently sits in the second Wild Card spot despite having played three more games than the Ottawa Senators, who are one point behind the Penguins. With the season near the halfway mark, every game matters for Pittsburgh. Crosby and the Penguins return to the ice on New Year's Eve against the Red Wings.