One stat makes Sidney Crosby's 1,500-point milestone even more impressive
Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby became the 15th player in NHL history to reach 1,500 points Saturday against the Detroit Red Wings.
Crosby is the sixth-fastest player to reach the milestone, but one stat makes the feat even more impressive.
Rob Rossi of The Athletic recently pointed out that Crosby has missed 298 games due to injury, a lockout and seasons cut short by COVID-19. However, despite missing out on nearly three full seasons of hockey, Crosby notched his 1,500th point in 1,188 games.
It's hard not to wonder what could have been had Crosby been able to play in those games. However, he doesn't seem too concerned about his statistics, having recently shied away from boasting about personal accolades.
Ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, Crosby told freelancer Shelly Anderson that the number he's focused on is "four," meaning the total of Stanley Cups he's won in Pittsburgh.
Crosby finished with three points, recording two goals and an assist in the Penguins' 5-1 victory over Detroit. The future Hall of Famer tallied point No. 1,500 with a powerplay goal in the third period, firing a wrister by the glove of Red Wings goaltender Ville Husso.
In his 18th season, Crosby doesn't seem to be showing signs of slowing down. After Saturday's three-point effort, the 35-year-old has 91 points on the year (33 goals, 58 assists), which leads the Penguins.
Crosby is hoping to will the Penguins into the postseason. Pittsburgh occupies the top wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference with a record of 40-30-10.
However, with less than a week to go in the regular season, the East's final two playoff spots will likely come down to the Penguins, Florida Panthers (41-31-7), New York Islanders (40-30-9) and Buffalo Sabres (39-32-7).
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