Sidney Crosby reached a significant milestone, matching Wayne Gretzky for the seventh-most goals with a single franchise in NHL history, as the Pittsburgh Penguins secured a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday.
“Any time you can be in (Gretzky’s) company, I think it’s a good thing,” Crosby remarked. “Usually (Gretzky) or Mario (Lemieux) are kind of on their own for most things. It’s nice to be there.”
Crosby, along with Lars Eller, Reilly Smith, and Valtteri Puustinen, contributed with a goal and an assist each for Pittsburgh, who clinched their second win in three games following a four-game losing streak. Michael Bunting and Drew O’Connor also found the back of the net.
Crosby’s 583rd career goal, his first in 12 games and his 33rd of the season, bolstered the Penguins’ playoff aspirations, particularly after trading star winger Jake Guentzel at the trade deadline.
Alex Nedeljkovic, facing his former team after spending the previous two seasons with the Red Wings, stood tall in the net for Pittsburgh, making 25 saves. “Those games are always fun to play in,” Nedeljkovic expressed. “We’re chasing these guys for a playoff spot. To get two points was huge, especially in regulation.”
Despite Lucas Raymond’s two goals for Detroit and Christian Fischer’s contribution, Pittsburgh managed to close the gap to five points behind Detroit for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
Smith initiated the scoring for Pittsburgh at 10:10 of the first period, immediately after a power play expired. Raymond drew Detroit level at 15:39, but Pittsburgh retaliated with two quick goals before the end of the period.
Crosby broke the tie at 18:53 on a backhand from the slot, followed by Puustinen finding the net 23 seconds later. Bunting extended Pittsburgh’s lead to 4-1 in the second period, only for Fischer to pull one back for the Red Wings.
However, Pittsburgh restored their three-goal cushion with a power-play goal from Eller before entering the final period. “I thought we worked hard and generated a lot, especially the first half of the game,” Crosby reflected. “We converted. That was the difference.”
