Sidney Crosby’s list of career accolades is a mile and a half long. He’s won the Stanley Cup three times, the Hart Trophy and Conn Smythe Trophy twice each, and he’s a member of the Triple Gold Club (to name a few).
On Tuesday night, against state rival the Philadelphia Flyers, Crosby added another mesmerizing milestone to his tally: goal No. 500, becoming just the 46th player to accomplish the feat. The only active player with 500-plus goals is Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin.
Having broken into the league together in 2005-06 — and since facing each other dozens of times in the regular season and playoffs — Crosby and Ovechkin will always be linked. But right now, we’re focused on “Sid the Kid,” and the road he’s taken to reach 500 goals.
Crosby’s Most Tortured ‘Tenders
The draft lottery that netted the Penguins the top pick — and thus, Crosby — in 2005 was as much a dream for Pittsburgh as it was a nightmare for the rest of the league. Goalies employed in the Atlantic Division, and later the Metropolitan Division, had drawn particularly short straws.
Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers, recently retired and soon to be headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame, spent his entire career in the same division as Crosby. With 24 goals allowed, Lundqvist is easily Crosby’s most victimized goalie.
Only two other goalies have allowed even half as many Crosby goals as Lundqvist. Then there’s Ryan Miller (11), who allowed the most famous goal of all at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. The golden goal doesn’t count for this tally, but how could we not mention it?
Top 5 Goalies Victimized by Sidney Crosby
Top Helping Hands
Crosby’s eventual Hall of Fame speech is bound to include thank-yous to lots of folks. Two names we’ve got our money on are Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang.
Both players have been teammates with Crosby since his sophomore season, and since then they’ve racked up 100-plus assists apiece on his goals. Rest assured, Crosby has returned the favour his fair share of times, too.
Malkin — the all-time leader with 109 helpers — collected the lone assist on Crosby’s 500th tally, a fitting moment for two stars who have been connected for nearly two decades.
To learn more about the wonders of skating with Crosby, either on NHL ice or at a lower level, check out what several of his linemates had to say in Sonny Sachdeva’s oral history.
Every Player To Get Assists on Sidney Crosby Goals
Clock Is Ticking For History
With the goal on Tuesday, Crosby cemented his place as a top-25 player in both the “youngest to” and “fastest to” categories for the half-millennium mark.
He’s 24th on the list of youngest players (34 years, 192 days), just behind former teammate Jarome Iginla (34 years, 190 days).
By scoring his 500th in 1,077 games, he ties with Joe Nieuwendyk for the 25th fewest games needed to reach the feat.
More importantly, Crosby is nestled in elite company. And he’s still performing at an elite level, averaging more than a point per game for the 17th straight season.
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