Crosby reaches 1,000 assists, Karlsson nets winner as Pens boost playoff odds by edging Detroit 6-5
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby is too consumed with the moment to think about the history he's making. Too focused on trying to will the Pittsburgh Penguins into a playoff berth that seemed unlikely a month ago to consider the weight of all that he's done.
Besides, there's really no need. The heights Crosby is reaching now are the kind reserved not just for the greatest of their time, but the greatest of all time.
The latest proof came on Thursday against Detroit, when the longtime Penguins captain became the 14th NHL player to reach 1,000 career assists and the league's 10th all-time leading scorer with one trademark backhand flick.
Crosby's deft feed to the slot ended up on the stick of teammate Erik Karlsson. The defenseman did the rest, blasting a shot by Alex Lyon 1:40 into overtime to give the Penguins a 6-5 win that leapfrogged them over Washington and into the Eastern Conference's second wildcard spot.
"He plays his best when the stakes are high like all of the alltime greats that have played the game," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said. "He's one of those guys."
Crosby finished with a goal and two assists to boost his career total to 1,591, one more than Hall of Famer Phil Esposito. Joe Sakic is next in ninth at 1,641, with Penguins icon Mario Lemieux in eighth at 1,723 and Crosby's childhood idol, Steve Yzerman, in seventh at 1,755.
Considering the way Crosby is playing at 36, if he stays healthy, it's a matter of when he passes them, not when.
"I haven't looked that closely at it," Crosby said. "But to be in that company with all those players you mentioned, that means a lot. I grew up watching those players."
Kind of like the way Crosby's teammates sometimes find themselves watching his No. 87 and shaking their heads at what they're seeing. Crosby collected assist No. 999 in the first period on Drew O'connor's goal and tied Esposito on the scoring list with a brilliant redirect at the left post.
He collected a rebound off a Rickard Rakell shot in the extra period and threw the puck to an open sheet of ice, giving Karlsson enough room to blast in his 10th goal as the Penguins improved to 7-0-3 in their last 10 games. It's a surge few saw coming a month ago when they were languishing in 13th place in the East.
Now they're in eighth with three games remaining thanks in large part to Crosby, who was voted the club's Most Valuable Player by his teammates for a 12th time earlier in the day.
The 36-year-old is certainly playing like one.
"He's a big part of our game and he's a big reason that we are in the situation we're in," Karlsson said of Crosby. "And we're going to need him playing like this down the stretch here to have a chance."
Kris Letang and Jeff Carter both scored their 10th goals for Pittsburgh. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 25 shots as the Penguins overcame another late meltdown in which they let a two-goal third-period lead slip away again.
It's been an issue all season. Yet this time Pittsburgh recovered to take control of its playoff fate.
"We're just finding ways to win right now," Nedeljkovic said. "They're not always going to be pretty. You'd like them to be a little prettier than that but you know, like I said, we'll take two points tonight."
Pittsburgh was nine points out of postseason position two weeks ago. Crosby and Nedeljkovic have keyed a surprising late run as the Penguins closed ground quickly on Washington, Philadelphia and Detroit.