The Pittsburgh Penguins’ 4–3 shootout win over the Montreal Canadiens meant much more in Pittsburgh than the Pens adding a victory to the win column on Sunday.
Through the victory over the Habs, Penguins fans also enjoyed a symbolic moment in franchise history involving two of the greatest players to wear the black-and-yellow sweater.
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Current captain Sidney Crosby entered the night one point behind former Penguins and NHL legend Mario Lemieux for the franchise’s all-time scoring lead.
Crosby tied Lemieux’s mark (1,723) with a first-period goal and passed it minutes later by assisting on a Rickard Rakell power-play goal, effectively reaching 1,724 by the end of the game.
Following the milestone, fans at PPG Paints Arena were met with a prerecorded video from Lemieux. The former player, owner and longtime face of the Penguins delivered a direct and personal message to Crosby.
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“Hey, Sid. Congratulations on passing me with 1,724 points,” Lemieux said. “I knew when we played together in 2005 that you were going to be a very special player and accomplish a lot of great things in your career.
“Here we are 20 years later. You are now one of the best to ever play the game.”
Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) is named the number one star of the game against the Montreal Canadiens.Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The crowd fell silent during the tribute, which played shortly after Crosby broke the record in the opening period.
“Seeing the crowd go quiet when Mario’s message came on, that was pretty special,” Crosby said afterward. “If you don’t understand the impact he’s had here and you were here tonight, I think you understand a little bit better now.”
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The Penguins improved to a 15-11-9 record through 35 games played. They visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 22, 2025, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.