The Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby continues to write his name in the NHL history books. Crosby scored his 30th goal of the season in a recent 5-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche and hit a pair of big career milestones in the process.
The 2022-23 season marks the 11th time Crosby had a 30-goal campaign, which ties him with Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux for most in Penguins’ history. Also, by having a 30-goal season at 35, he also became the first player in NHL history to record it at both age 18 and again at 35+.
“It means I’ve been in the league for a while,” Crosby jokingly said after being asked what these achievements mean to him. “That’s been the thing that’s driven me since I got into the league — in your first year, you want to prove that you belong. Even at 35, I still think you want to prove you belong, because it is a younger league.”
Crosby scored another goal in the meantime, bringing his total to 31. He now has back-to-back seasons in which he scored at least 31 goals and dished at least 53 assists. This impressive run follows a pair of campaigns in which Crosby struggled with injuries.
The Penguins will hope Crosby continues with great performances considering that they are currently in the hunt for a playoff spot. They have a 35-27-10 record in the Metropolitan Division, trailing the New York Islanders, who hold the last wild-card spot, by three points.
