Penguins' Crosby caps milestone game with OT winner vs. Jets
PITTSBURGH -- Center Sidney Crosby recorded his 1,000th career point early and scored the winner late in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 4-3 overtime win against the Winnipeg Jets at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday.
Crosby's winner came with just 21.1 seconds left in the extra session after Evgeni Malkin drove to the net and powered the puck in front with a defenseman on top of him. Crosby beat a defender to the puck and tapped it into an empty net.
Crosby became the 86th player in NHL history to reach the milestone and in 757 career games, was the 12th-fastest to do so.
The Penguins scored the contest's first goal only 59 seconds into regulation. After Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck fumbled a dump-in attempt, Penguins right winger Patric Hornqvist and center Scott Wilson each chopped second-chance opportunities on net. Wilson followed up his shot attempt by jabbing a backhanded pass to the left circle where Malkin was able to fire a wrister past Hellebuyck's glove hand.
Crosby reached the milestone on the Penguins' second goal at 6:28 of the first period. Chasing down a loose puck in the left circle of the Jets' zone, Crosby fended off Winnipeg right winger Blake Wheeler, spun towards the net and fed a pass to long-time left winger Chris Kunitz in the slot. Kunitz fired a one-timer which beat Hellebuyck's left leg. It was Crosby's 632nd career assist and it was the 185th time Kunitz figured in on one of his points. Only Malkin (262) has had a hand in more of Crosby's offense.
The Jets didn't get on the scoreboard until 17:10 of the second period. Taking a puck deep into the Penguins' right wing, Jets center Mark Scheifele fed a pass to center Mathieu Perreault in the right circle. Perreault one-touched it to right winger Patrik Laine in the left circle. Going backhand to forehand, Laine lifted a wrister past sprawling goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
Winnipeg tied the game at 3:22 of the third period. After a wrister by Jets left winger Adam Lowry from the left boards was kicked out by Fleury, the rebound wobbled out to the right point where Jets defenseman Paul Postma blasted a one-timer past Fleury's glove hand on the near side for his first goal of the season.
The Jets claimed their first lead at the 11:36 mark. Pinching in on a puck deep in the Penguins' right corner, Jets defenseman Dustin Byfuglien swooped around the back of the cage and tucked a forehand wraparound through Fleury's five hole.
It became a 3-3 contest at 13:55 of the third. Working on a power play, defenseman Kris Letang fed a pass from the center point to right winger Phil Kessel in the left circle. Kessel zipped a wrister through traffic past Hellebuyck's left shoulder on the far side. Crosby record a secondary assist for his 1,001st point.
Fleury's denied Jets left winger Nikolaj Ehlers on a breakaway at 3:53 over overtime with a glove save to help keep the game tied. He finished with 44 saves. Hellebuyck made 35 saves.
The Penguins played most of the game with only four defensemen after Justin Schultz and Olli Maatta each left during the second period. Schultz left at the 4:24 mark after being slammed from behind into the right's wing boards of Winnipeg's zone by Byfuglien. Maatta departed after being struck in open ice by Lowry in front of the Jets' bench at the 8:56 mark. There was no immediate word on their statuses.
NOTES: Penguins LW Carl Hagelin remained sidelined for the fifth consecutive game due to a concussion. He participated in Thursday's morning skate and said he was "moving in the right direction." ... Penguins D Kris Letang appeared in his 600th career game. ... Penguins C Eric Fehr returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch in Tuesday's 4-0 home win against the Vancouver Canucks. .... The Penguins' scratches were RW Josh Archibald and D Chad Ruhwedel. ... Jets D Tobias Enstrom underwent surgery for an undisclosed injury Wednesday. According to coach Paul Maurice, Enstrom will be sidelined 2-to-3 weeks. ... Jets G Ondrej Pavelec was sidelined for a fourth consecutive game due to an undisclosed injury. ... The Jets scratched Enstrom, D Julian Melchiori and C Andrew Copp.