Sidney Crosby Moves Into 6th on NHL Scoring List as Penguins Defeat Kings 5-2

Sidney Crosby Passes Marcel Dionne as Penguins Defeat Kings 5-2

Sidney Crosby scored two goals and moved into sole possession of sixth place on the NHL’s career scoring list on Saturday night, leading the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings and snapping a four-game losing streak. The 39-year-old Crosby broke his tie with Kings great Marcel Dionne by recording his 1,772nd career point in the second period.

The milestone arrived at 17:13 of the middle frame when Evgeni Malkin’s one-timer from the right circle caught a piece of Crosby before going into the net off a setup from Erik Karlsson. Crosby later secured his second multigoal game of the season by diving face-first onto the ice to deposit an empty-netter at 18:44, capping off a night that saw Pittsburgh open a three-game California trip with just its third win in 11 games.

Penguins Shuffle Top Line to Spark Struggling Lineup

Before puck drop, the Penguins moved Crosby and 40-year-old Malkin onto their top line to jolt their struggling lineup. The tactical adjustment paid immediate dividends. Tommy Novak struck twice in the game’s opening minutes, scoring the fastest two goals by any player to begin a game this season at 5:10. Novak put Pittsburgh ahead less than two minutes in by controlling a rebound in front, then followed Ben Kindel into the zone shortly after to cash in another rebound.

SIDNEY CROSBY HAS THE 6TH MOST POINTS IN NHL HISTORY!! 🐧 pic.twitter.com/RgV3xfdh1s

— https://x.com/NHL/status/2119279935860916436

Egor Chinakhov added a power-play wrist shot from above the left circle at 19:31 of the first period, a goal confirmed after a video review showed the puck bounced off the back bar. Los Angeles answered through Corey Perry, who capitalized on a high wrist shot from Mikey Anderson that caromed off the end glass into the blue paint, and an early second-period power-play tally from Alex Laferriere that deflected off Kaedan Korczak’s skate and through goaltender Sergei Murashov’s pads.

Murashov finished the night with 26 saves. At the other end of the ice, Darcy Kuemper stopped 14 shots for the Kings, who have lost two of the last three during their seven-game homestand. Los Angeles thought they had tied the game 3-3 late in the second period when Artemi Panarin converted a rebound, but a Pittsburgh coach’s challenge successfully overturned the play for offside.

SIXTH ALL TIME 👏 The legacy of Sidney Crosby just keeps growing. pic.twitter.com/07ZlPwGmm8

— https://x.com/penguins/status/2119279205871738916

Malkin Climbs All-Time Scoring Leaderboard Past Oates

The night also saw Malkin climb the league’s all-time scoring leaderboard. With 1,421 points, Malkin surpassed Adam Oates (1,420) for 20th place all-time. The contest marked the 37th time that Crosby, Malkin, and Letang all recorded multiple points in the same game, a statistical indicator that historically favors Pittsburgh, which improved to 36-1-0 in those specific outings.

Reflecting on setting the scoring mark in Los Angeles, where Dionne played 12 seasons, Crosby acknowledged the venue’s significance. I mean, it was probably a little bit cooler because it was here, Crosby said. Speaking on his recent offensive production after scoring just once in his previous seven games, he added, Haven’t gone in easy, so yeah, just nice to get that one. Nice to get a win and have a good feeling here going into tomorrow.

Sidney Crosby and Tommy Novak each scored twice, while Evgeni Malkin dished out three assists as the Penguins defeated — Photo: Sportsnet.ca

The Penguins continue their California swing on Sunday with a matchup against the Anaheim Ducks. The Kings return to action on Tuesday hosting the Nashville Predators.

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