Erik Karlsson netted the game-winning goal just 1 minute and 40 seconds into overtime, as the Pittsburgh Penguins enhanced their chances of making the playoffs with a 6-5 victory over Detroit on Thursday night.
Sidney Crosby set up Karlsson’s goal, marking his 1,000th career assist, a feat achieved by only 13 other players in NHL history.
Crosby also scored a goal and provided two assists, surpassing Phil Esposito to claim the 10th spot on the NHL’s all-time scoring list.
During the game, Crosby assisted Drew O’Connor’s goal in the first period, bringing his career assists to 999.
Later, he scored a goal off a pass from Bryan Rust in the second period, tying Esposito with 1,590 career points. In overtime, Crosby’s assist to Karlsson allowed him to surpass Esposito.
Rust also contributed a goal for Pittsburgh, while Kris Letang and Jeff Carter each scored their 10th goals of the season. Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves in goal for the Penguins, who moved ahead of Washington to secure the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card position with three games left in the season.
