Penguins' Sidney Crosby Closing in on Mario Lemieux

Malkin, meanwhile, passed Dale Hawerchuk for 40th on the all-time goals list when he scored his second goal of the NHL Global Series in Sweden. That night turned into something even more memorable when both Malkin and Crosby swapped sticks with NHL legend Peter Forsberg. Geno also recently moved past Johnny Bucyk for 27th all-time in points as he continues climbing the rankings.

But the biggest Penguins milestones this season come from the captain, who is currently climbing over some of the games most legendary players on the all-time leaderboards.

Crosby’s Continues Climb Into NHL History

Crosby’s season has been a masterclass in sustained greatness. He recently passed Dave Andreychuk for 15th all-time in goals. He moved ahead of Steve Yzerman for 9th all-time in assists. And he became the third-fastest player in NHL history to reach 500 multi-point games, doing it in 1,373 games — trailing only Wayne Gretzky and Marcel Dionne. He’s the sixth player ever to hit that mark, suprassing Mario Lemieux, who had 497.

Crosby and Letang also continue etching their names into the record books together. Their latest connection marked the 310th time the two have combined for a goal. Only one forward-defenseman duo in league history has more: Gretzky and Paul Coffey at 350. Could Crosby and Letang maybe catch them someday soon?

Sid also became the ninth player — and fourth-fastest — to reach 1,700 points, hitting the mark in just 1,362 games. The next name ahead of him on the all-time scoring list belongs to the player he once idolized, the one who drafted him, mentored him, and shaped the culture he inherited: Mario Lemieux.

Lemieux finished his career with 1,723 points in only 915 games, an otherworldly pace more than 400 games faster than it will take Crosby to get there. Now, with Crosby sitting at 1,714, he’s fewer than 10 points away from passing Lemieux in regular-season points — something many believed would never happen.

He already passed Lemieux for the most total points in franchise history earlier this season, but that included playoff points. Regular-season stats are the historical standard, and this next leap carries a different kind of weight.

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Milestone

What’s coming next is more than just a number. It’s a moment years in the making — a moment Penguins fans have watched unfold shift by shift, season by season. Surpassing Lemieux in regular-season points won’t change anything about what Lemieux means to the franchise, but it will cement Crosby as the Penguins franchise leaders in points.

And to do it all with one franchise, while still playing at an elite level at this stage of his career, makes it even more special. Whenever the moment comes — and it’s coming soon — it won’t just be another milestone. It’ll be a celebration of longevity, excellence, and one of the greatest careers the NHL has ever seen.