PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Blowing a two-goal lead in the third period, the Pens went into overtime with controlling their playoff fate at stake and that’s when Sidney Crosby’s 1,000th assist set up Erik Karlsson and a 6-5 overtime win over Detroit Thursday night.
"There's no one to pass it to,” Karlsson said. “I wasn't really planning on stepping in but the play kind of widened. I think the guy screened the goalie and I just figured 'why not?' I think I was owed one. So I took my chances and it worked out."
It was one of two assists for Crosby who also scored. The goal put him in the Top 10 in the NHL in points and the assist in overtime made him one of only 14 to ever get to 1,000 NHL assists.
“This is fun, it’s a fun time of year,” Crosby said. “It was a big game. Obviously happy to be in the Top 10, but getting a big two points and still being in it here is a lot of fun too.”
“It's been a heck of a ride playing with him for as long as I have,” Rust said, who finished with a goal and two assists. “He's a special player and even a more special person. He's awesome. He's leading this team right now. I think we're all just kind of getting in line behind him and trying to do everything we can."
"It's been something special, specially these last couple weeks, just watching him play,” said Pens goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, stopping 25 of 30 shots. “He's a man on a mission. It's not surprising. He does it every day. He come to the rink every day and treats his body well and cares so much, he wants to win. And anything short of winning is not acceptable.”
“So it's just a testament to how hard he works. How hard he's worked throughout his whole career and it's just been fun coming in every game it seems like he's setting a new milestone or setting a new record and it's just been fun to be a part of."
"He’s a big reason that we are in the situation we're in and we're going to need him playing like this down the stretch here to have a chance,” Karlsson said. “If it's one thing he's done throughout his career it's delivering when you need it the most and today was nothing different than that."
“I never get tired of answering questions about Sid’s milestones and his legacy,” said Pens head coach Mike Sullivan. “It’s probably apropos that it’s an overtime goal that he gets the assist on. I think this one is a huge milestone. There aren’t too many guys in the game that have 1,000 assists.”
“His body of work is so impressive. The thing I admire most about him is how he carries himself with such humility and integrity. It just represents everything that is right about hockey. We are lucky to have him in Pittsburgh.”
“He plays his best when the stakes are high like all of the all-time great that you talk about that play the game. He’s one of those guys.”
Related
Goals
· Drew O’Connor scored the opener just 2:40 into the game, where he normally is, right in front of the net off a Rust pass given to him by Crosby after controlling the puck and fooling a Red Wings player.
· Kris Letang with goal number two after a pair of pretty passes from Rickard Rakell and Michael Bunting, the latter leading the defenseman perfectly in the slot to make it 2-1 late in the first period.
· Crosby would score on a great feed from Rust to get the lead back at 3-2 early in the second period. That point put Crosby in the Top 10 in all-time NHL points.
· Reilly Smith would then set up Rust for the fourth Pens goal in the second.
· Jeff Carter seemed to seal it with a short-handed goal to make it 5-3, 3:32 into the third period before the Detroit comeback. It’s the 441st of Carter’s career moving him past Rick Tocchet into a tie for 71st place on the NHL’s all-time goals list.
With the victory the Pens also win the season series against Detroit 2-1, both wins at home. The Pens are trying to do something that has never been done in league history, comeback from nine points out with 11 games to play and make the playoffs.
Related
Others with 1,000 career NHL assists
• Joe Sakic 1,016
• Mario Lemieux 1,033
• Marcel Dionne 1,040
• Gordie Howe 1,049
• Steve Yzerman 1,063
• Adam Oates 1,079
• Joe Thornton 1,109
• Paul Coffey 1,135
• Jaromir Jagr 1,155
• Ray Bourque 1,169
• Mark Messier 1,193
• Ron Francis 1,249
• Wayne Gretzky 1,963
Up Next
Pens remain home and a game with Eastern Conference leading Boston Saturday night at 8p.