Penguins: Sidney Crosby Scores 500th Career Goal

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby continues to reach new heights in his Hall of Fame career, and on Tuesday night, he did so against a team that he has bested throughout his time in the NHL.

The Pens earned a 5-4 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers, and in the first period, Crosby scored a power play goal to give him 500 goals in his career. It also happened to be his 50th goal against his cross-state rivals, his highest total against any team.

With the goal, Crosby becomes the 46th player in NHL history to reach that milestone. He joins Mario Lemieux as the only other Penguins player to reach 500 goals. He also joins Washington Capitals captain, and nine-time Rocket Richard Trophy winner, Alex Ovechkin as the only other active player to hit that mark. Lemieux scored 690 goals, and Ovechkin has 761 in his career.

It took the Penguins’ forward 1,077 games to hit the 500 goal mark. In the process, Crosby won the Rocket Richard Trophy twice in his career, with the most recent coming at the conclusion of the 2016-2017 season. His career-high in goals in 51, which he scored during the 2009-2010 campaign.

Crosby scored his 500th goal for the Penguins.

His first goal came back on October 8, 2005 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Fittingly, his 500th goal that came 16 and a half years later, was assisted by long-time teammate Evgeni Malkin. Having Geno get the assist on the goal at home against the Flyers really made for a perfect milestone goal for the captain.

In total, number 87 has 1,371 points on his NHL resume, plus an additional 191 points in his 174 career playoff games. On the season, the Penguins’ captain has 14 goals and 32 assists for 46 points in 38 contests.

Crosby’s elite play since returning from an injury and a COVID diagnosis early in the season has helped lead Pittsburgh to a 31-11-8 record on the season, as Sid and his team jockey for position to win their fourth Stanley Cup championship since 2009.

What’s interesting about watching Crosby hit this mark is that, while it’s an incredibly impressive goal total for his career, it almost feels normal when Sid does it. There have been so many milestones already in his career, and fans certainly hope that there will be many more, so even when 87 is firing home number 500, it feels like another day in the office for one of the greatest players to have played in the NHL.

With that said, the mob of black sweaters that flooded the ice to congratulate Crosby did make him feel more human, and it made the moment feel more spectacular. It’s one of those things that makes hockey fans, especially those in the Steel City, pause and appreciate what Sid the Kid has brought to the ice for so many seasons.

17 years and 500 goals after his NHL debut, Sidney Crosby is still playing at an elite level. With this milestone now in the books, we will wait and see what Sid has in store next.