Pittsburgh Penguins center, two-time Stanley Cup winner, two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time Hart Trophy (MVP) winner Sidney Crosby has his sights on 1,000 career points as the Penguins play at home against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday.
Crosby currently sits at 997 career points as he looks to become the 86th player in NHL history to reach 1,000 career points.
Quick strike
Crosby has recorded his points in rapid fashion, especially since the lockout in 2004-05). When he reaches the mark, Crosby will almost surely have played the fewest games to record 1,000 career points among active players. Tuesday will be his 753rd game. Jaromir Jagr got there quickest among actives at 763 games.
Crosby would pass Jagr for 12th-fewest games played to 1,000 career points in NHL history, per the Elias Sports Bureau.
Another interesting aspect of Crosby’s game? When he records points, he usually does it in bunches. He leads the NHL in multipoint games (296), three-point games (117) and four-point games (30) since his debut in 2005-06.
In fact, he has the most three-point games since 1998-99 and most four-point games since 1999-2000, despite debuting in 2005.
Postseason success
Crosby has won two Stanley Cups in his career (2009, 2016). He will be one of 33 players in NHL history with 1,000 career points and two Stanley Cups.
Although postseason points are separate from this total, Crosby has 137 career playoff points in 124 games, third-most among active players, behind Jagr (201) and Marian Hossa (149).
Crosby won the 2016 Conn Smythe Award (Stanley Cup playoffs MVP), becoming the fourth player selected No. 1 overall in the NHL draft to win the award. The others are Guy Lafleur, Mario Lemieux and Patrick Kane.
Significant injuries
Crosby should have reached 1,000 career points much sooner in terms of time, but he missed 113 games from 2010-11 to 2012-13, mostly due to concussions. He also missed six games earlier this season because of a concussion. In addition, he missed time during the 2007-08 season with a high-ankle sprain.
Also worth noting
Crosby would be the second player to debut after the 2004-05 lockout to reach 1,000 career points. The other is Alex Ovechkin, who got there earlier this season.
Crosby would also become the 39th player in history to record at least 1,000 points with one franchise and the third player with the Penguins (Mario Lemieux and Jagr are the others).
Crosby was selected No. 1 overall in the 2005 draft. He will be the 12th No. 1 overall pick since 1963 (the first year of the draft) to record 1,000 career points and the second Penguins player to do so (Lemieux).
In addition to the two Stanley Cups and two Hart Trophies, Crosby won the Art Ross Trophy twice (for most points in a single season, 2006-07 and 2013-14) and the 2009-10 Rocket Richard award (for most goals in a single season).
Speaking of goals, Crosby leads the NHL this season with 30, becoming the first player to reach the 30-goal plateau this season.
Per Elias, it is the second time that Crosby has earned the “first to 30” distinction during his 12-season career, having previously done so in 2010–11. Only two other active players have been the first player to 30 goals in more than one season: Jagr and Ovechkin (three times each.)