Game Notes
The Penguins are looking to sweep the season series with Seattle for the first time in franchise history. They’re also looking for wins in back-to-back games against the Kraken for the first time.
Sidney Crosby enters tonight’s game riding a three-game point streak (1G-6A). Since this stretch began on Feb. 22, only Nikita Kucherov (9) and Josh Morrissey (8) have recorded more points than Crosby.
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.
On Tuesday night, Sidney Crosby notched an assist on Rickard Rakell’s first goal which came at even-strength, making him just the ninth player in NHL history to record 1,000 even-strength points. Crosby accomplished this feat in 1,246 regular-season games. Only three players in NHL history reached this milestone faster.
Crosby has been finding the back of the net at a consistent pace. He is tied for ninth in the NHL in goals (32). Crosby has been especially dangerous on the road, picking up 32 points (19G-13A) in 27 road games. His 19 goals on the road are fourth in the NHL.
Rickard Rakell scored two goals in the overtime win at Vancouver on Tuesday. Over his last six games dating back to February 15, he has seven points (3G-4A). Only Sidney Crosby has more points over the Penguins’ last six games.
Reilly Smith has notched five goals, three assist,s and eight points in six career games against the Seattle Kraken. He’s been held off the scoresheet just once in his career against them.
Smith enters tonight’s game with 498 career points (210G-288A), and is two points away from 500 in his career. Drafted in the third round (69th overall) by Dallas in the 2009 NHL Draft, Smith is looking to become the 10th member of his draft class to tally 500 career points.
Jansen Harkins’ only career two-assist game came on May 1, 2022 against Seattle. He has two assists in five career games versus the Kraken.
Marcus Pettersson’s plus-23 is tied for eighth in the NHL.
The Penguins own an overall record of 382-87-45 when both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin record a point in a game.
Erik Karlsson tallied his 10th career overtime goal last night to take a 4-3 victory in Vancouver. The 33-year-old’s game-winner was also his 35th career overtime point. Karlsson has the most overtime points among defensemen in NHL history.
Karlsson is only the fifth defenseman in NHL history to record at least 10 overtime goals, joining Brent Burns (16), Scott Niedermayer (13), Seth Jones (11), and teammate Kris Letang (11). The tally was also Karlsson’s 36th game-winning goal of his career. That pushed him past Oliver Ekman-Larsson for the second-most game-winning goals among active defensemen.
Karlsson has at least one point in each of his last five games going back to February 18, recording six points (1G-5A) in that span. Among NHL defensemen, Karlsson is tied for the longest active point streak.
