MARCH MADNESS
Erik Karlsson has been one of the NHL’s hottest players in the month of March, picking up 24 points (9G-15A) in just 15 games. Since March 1, only Nikita Kucherov (26) has picked up more points than Karlsson, and his 24 points are the most by a Penguins blueliner in a calendar month since Paul Coffey’s franchise record of 28 points in February 1990. Karlsson is just the fourth Penguins defenseman in franchise history to record 20 or more points in a month.
Karlsson’s nine multi-point games in March are the most by a Penguins defenseman in a single month in team history.
Karlsson also has seven goals over his last seven games (7G-7A), and he is the first defenseman in franchise history to have seven goals over a seven-game span.
CROSBY 1,100
Sidney Crosby is two assists shy of becoming the eighth player in NHL history to record 1,100 career assists joining Wayne Gretzky (1,963), Ron Francis (1,249), Mark Messier (1,193), Ray Bourque (1,169), Jaromir Jagr (1,155), Paul Coffey (1,135) and Joe Thornton (1,109). Among the group, Crosby is set to accomplish this feat in the third-fewest games in NHL history.
Crosby would also become just the second player in NHL history to record 1,100 assists with one franchise, after Ray Bourque with Boston.
DIRTY THIRTY
Sidney Crosby is two goals shy of reaching the 30-goal mark for the 14th time in his career and the fifth-consecutive season. Only six players in NHL history have more 30-goal seasons than him currently and only Alex Ovechkin has more among active players (19).
MULTI-POINT MAYHEM
Sidney Crosby is one multi-point performance shy of surpassing both Mark Messier and Marcel Dionne for third most multi-point games in NHL history.
MALKIN 1,400
Forward Evgeni Malkin is two points shy of 1,400 in his career. Malkin is looking to join Sidney Crosby (1,751) and Mario Lemieux (1,743) as the only players in franchise history to notch 1,400 points with the team, and he would also become just the 23rd player in NHL history to accomplish this feat.
Malkin would also become just the second Russian-born player in NHL history to accumulate 1,400 points along with Washington’s Alex Ovechkin.
Malkin has points in three of his four games played (2G-3A) since returning from suspension.
MANTHA’S CAREER YEAR
Forward Anthony Mantha has points in seven of his last 11 games (6G-3A) and has set career highs across the board in goals (27), assists (27) and points (54). During the Sidney Crosby Era (2005-Present), only four players on Pittsburgh have scored more goals than Mantha in their first season with the team.
SUPER ROOKIE
Ben Kindel enters this game with 13 points (9G-4A) over his last 23 games. Kindel is up to 17 goals on the season, which ranks tied for fourth among NHL rookies. Four of his 17 goals have been game-winning tallies, and he’s one game-winning goal shy of the NHL single-season record for an 18-year-old.
CROSBY VERSUS NYI
Throughout his career, Sidney Crosby has played dominant hockey against the New York Islanders. In 92 career games, Crosby has recorded 140 points (44G-96A) against the Islanders, helping Pittsburgh to a 53-25-14 record in those games. He has almost double the amount of multi-point games against them (41) as opposed to games with no points (23). Only Jaromir Jagr (155) has more points against the Islanders in NHL history than Crosby’s 140. Crosby’s 140 points versus the Islanders are also the most that any active player has against one single team.
