Why Mario Lemieux remains greatest Penguin despite Sidney Crosby's achievement  

Due to having to fight cancer and then retire in the middle of his prime in 1997 before making a triumphant return three years later, Lemieux only played in 915 games in 17 seasons. 

"I have a ton of respect for Mario... it means a lot... that friendship, and what him and his family mean to me, is a lot," said Crosby after the game on Sunday, a 4-3 victory over Lemieux's hometown Montreal Canadiens. 

Mario Lemieux took home more individual hardware  

And even going beyond Lemieux scoring at a more rapid pace and doing it quicker, he also won more individual hardware as well. Lemieux is a three-time winner of the Hart Trophy, a league MVP, he led the league in scoring six times for the Art Ross Trophy, was voted as the NHL's Most Outstanding Player four times and was a nine-time All-Star. He also managed to win those awards in an era that Wayne Gretzky was hogging most of them, especially the first decade of both of their careers.

For Crosby, he's a two-time MVP, two-time scoring champion and a three-time winner of "Most Outstanding Player," now known as the Ted Lindsay Award. In more years on the ice, Crosby has been an All-Star one fewer time; granted, he'll probably tie Lemieux with nine this season.

Sidney Crosby has enjoyed more team success 

Of course, Crosby has captured one particular trophy more than his mentor — Crosby has led the Penguins to three Stanley Cup titles in four trips to the Final. Lemieux, who arrived in Pittsburgh during a period when the Penguins were struggling as a team and also struggling to gain fan interest in the city, guided Pittsburgh to back-to-back titles in 1991-92. 

Both Crosby and Lemieux were recognized as the Conn Smythe winner as the MVP of the entire postseason twice. Evgeni Malkin actually earned the honor after Crosby's first Stanley Cup year in 2009. 

Crosby has played in almost double the number of playoff games, too. In 180 postseason contests, he has 71 goals and 130 assists for 201 points. Lemieux has 76 goals and 96 helpers for 172 points in the playoffs. 

So while both are widely regarded as among the best players in the history of the sport, making Penguins fans blessed to call each their own, Lemieux's accomplishments in less time still allow him to reign supreme over Crosby.