Game Notes
Rickard Rakell has 13 points (5G-8A) in 19 career games against the New York Rangers.
Jeff Carter enters tonight’s game one goal shy of the 10-goal plateau. His next goal would mark the 19th season he’s reached double-digit goals, a feat that only 25 players in NHL history have accomplished. Only Alex Ovechkin (20) has more 10-goal seasons among active players.
Pittsburgh’s penalty killing unit currently ranks sixth in the NHL, operating at a 82.7% success rate.
Drew O’Connor tallied two assists against San Jose on Thursday night, marking his third multi-point game this season. His three multi-point games in 2023.24 are a new single-season career high.
The Penguins own an overall record of 383-87-45 when both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin record a point in a game.
Sidney Crosby (582) enters tonight’s game one goal shy of tying Wayne Gretzky (583) for the seventh-most goals with a single franchise in NHL history.
Crosby, who leads the Penguins with 65 points (32G-33A) in 65 games, is still producing at an elite rate in his 19th season. The 36-year-old Crosby has one of the highest point-per-game averages in NHL history from a player’s 35th birthday and on.
Crosby has historically been successful against the New York Rangers. In 83 career games versus the Rangers, Crosby has registered 38 goals, 66 assists, and 104 points. Crosby’s points-per-game average (1.25) against the Rangers is tied for 10th in NHL history (min. 25 GP), and no active player has more points versus New York than him.
Crosby is currently the only active player in the NHL with 100-plus points against at least two franchises (New York Islanders, 132; Philadelphia, 129, NY Rangers, 104).
Erik Karlsson found the scoresheet on Thursday, notching an assist for the second-consecutive game. In doing so, Karlsson surpassed Sergei Zubov (619) for the 16th-most assists by a defenseman in NHL history. Karlsson leads all Pittsburgh blueliners and is tied for 12th in league scoring among defensemen with 45 points (8G-37A).
Evgeni Malkin enters tonight’s game one goal shy of hitting the 20-goal plateau. It would mark the 15th time in his career that Malkin has scored 20 or more goals in a season, and he’s looking to become just the 31st player in NHL history, and fourth active player, with 15 20-goal seasons.
Malkin found the back of the net last game, helping him hit the 50-point plateau for the 14th time in his career. In doing so, he became the 47th player in NHL history, and just sixth active player, with 14 50-point seasons.
John Ludvig recorded his first career multi-point effort (1G-1A) on Thursday against the Sharks. Ludvig has notched three (2G-1A) of his four points (2G-2A) this season over his last seven games, and since this stretch began on Feb. 14, only Kris Letang (4) has notched more goals among Penguins blueliners.
The Penguins enter tonight’s game with points in five of their last seven home games (4-2-1) and have points in 10 of their last 14 home games overall (7-4-3).
