Crosby becomes 15th player to reach 1,500 career points
Sidney Crosby collected three points Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh's 5-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings to become the 15th player in NHL history to reach 1,500 points.
The longtime Penguins captain achieved the feat in his 1,188th career game with a power-play goal in the third period.
1️⃣5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ FOR CROSBY!
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 8, 2023
With three points in today’s game, Sidney Crosby becomes the 15th player in NHL history to reach 1,500 career points. pic.twitter.com/pf1k2Oyrvq
"Obviously, the most important thing is the next game in our situation here. The urgency and desperation… that's what I'm thinking about more than the numbers," Crosby said after the game, according to NHL.com's Michelle Crechiolo. "But it's a nice number, and a lot of guys are a big part of that, a couple of them for a long time. But I think that's just a product of some guys that I've played with over the years. It's just a nice number."
Crosby is the sixth-fastest player to hit the benchmark and one of seven to do it with one franchise. Here's how the 35-year-old stacks up all time, and who he could pass over the next few seasons.
| Rank | Player | GP | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Phil Esposito | 1282 | 1590 |
| 11 | Ray Bourque | 1612 | 1579 |
| 12 | Joe Thornton | 1714 | 1539 |
| 13 | Mark Recchi | 1652 | 1533 |
| 14 | Paul Coffey | 1409 | 1531 |
| 15 | Crosby | 1188 | 1500 |
Saturday's performance also locked up Crosby's seventh 90-plus point campaign. Only 11 players have hit that mark at 35 years or older.
Crosby's milestone day came at the perfect time for the Penguins, who were in desperate need of a win to aid their playoff chances. Pittsburgh remains one point back of the Florida Panthers and New York Islanders for a wild-card seed in the Eastern Conference with two games to go after all three won Saturday.