It probably won’t be enough to advance to the playoffs, but the individual performances of the thirty-six-year-old striker are still amazing. “Anytime you can be in company like that, it’s pretty cool,” Crosby smiled as he mimicked the most productive player of all time.
He collected 82 points in 74 games this season. Even if he had a 0+0 record in the final eight games of the regular season, an average of at least a point per game won’t hurt him.
“It is remarkable that he has managed to perform at an elite level for so long. The numbers speak for themselves. All the milestones he is achieving are proof that he is one of the best players of all time,” coach Mike Sullivan praised the team’s leader.
Winner of three Stanley Cups, holder of two Hart Trophies and the Art Ross Trophy, he has been an NHL icon since the 2005-06 season. In total, he scored 1584 points in 1264 starts. Those last goals came on a shot from the blue line and then into an empty net on a Rangers power play.
In addition, Crosby likes to provoke New York goalkeepers in games at Madison Square Garden. In the past, he had several conflicts with Henrik Lundqvist, this time he did not forgive himself for teasing Igor Šestorkin. He tapped him with a stick over the catcher at the rear guardrail, which the Russian goalkeeper did not handle very well, but the referees did not draw any conclusions from the minor skirmish.
“It’s not the first time this has happened to me at MSG. (Shesťorkin) probably wanted to wake up the team a little bit,” claimed Crosby after the unexpected victory. But the Penguins will have a hard time erasing a five-point loss to the top eight. “No one gives us anything for free, no one has mercy on us,” the captain urged his teammates to the last fury.
“Sid is much more than just a productive player. All those little things make him a great leader,” Pittsburgh goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic said.
