Crosby 'never would've expected' tying Mario for most Pens assists
Sidney Crosby was in his typical self-deprecating mode after tying Mario Lemieux for the most career assists in Pittsburgh Penguins history Monday night.
"It's nice, obviously. I didn't ever think I'd be close to that, and (I've) played a lot of games - he played a lot less than I did - so that's what happens when you play long enough," Crosby told reporters after notching a goal and three helpers in a 7-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
His final assist of the night gave him 1,033 to match Lemieux. Crosby needed 1,308 games (the most in franchise history) to accomplish the feat, while Mario required only 915.
"I dreamed of playing in the NHL, and I'm grateful for that for all these years, but I don't think about where I am on the list," Crosby said. "To be with Mario, though, is pretty cool. Like I said, I never would've expected that, so yeah, that's just a bonus."
Crosby has shown no signs of decline at 37 years old in his 20th season. He leads all Penguins with 29 assists (seven more than his closest teammate) and 39 points (10 more), while his 10 goals rank third on the team. He's also averaging nearly 20 minutes of ice time at 19:55, which leads all Pittsburgh forwards, and he's won 57.5% of his faceoffs in 2024-25.
The Nova Scotia-born center has raised his game lately with 12 points (including 10 assists) in his last six contests. He has two four-point contests in his last three outings. Crosby collected a goal and three helpers in a 5-4 victory over the Nashville Predators on Dec. 19.
Lemieux still tops Crosby in both goals and points by 88 for the Penguins' all-time lead. Mario was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997.