NHL News: Penguins HC Mike Sullivan makes something clear on Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan faces a critical season in the Steel City. The Penguins look to make the playoffs with an aging roster still reliant on the skills of NHL veterans. After a historic night, the Pens head coach made something clear on the team’s leaders: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

After a horrific season opener, Pittsburgh is finding their rhythym and looking to sneak in between the Metropolitan Division leaders. On Wednesday night, Crosby and Malkin accomplished historic feats in the league and head coach Mike Sullivan made a clear statement on the two players.

“When you look at the championships the Penguins have won while they’ve been here, their fingerprints are all over it,” Mike Sullivan said, via Sportsnet. “When you win Stanley Cups, it has a way of galvanizing relationships. I think Malkin has had a really strong start to the season. When he’s at his best, the puck seems to follow him around and that’s what he’s doing right now.”

During the Penguins 6-5 win over the Buffalo Sabres, Crosby recorded a goal and two assists, surpassing the 1,600 points mark. In his 20th NHL season, Crosby is the 10th player and the only one active with at least 1,600 points. Malkin joined the party and scored his 500th goal. Crosby humbly reacted to his accomplishment and Malkin’s.

Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates against Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers in the third period during the game at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 10, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)

Crosby and Malkin’s reactions

“I think whether it’s moments like tonight or things we’ve shared, good and bad, it’s been pretty incredible to be part of the team and play with him over this amount of time,” Sidney Crosby said. “I think we just care a lot about the team. We want to win. We expect a lot of each other. But I think there’s a lot of respect there too.“

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Malkin, on the other hand, showed his emotion after his feat and confessed it had been in the back of his head for a long time. “I really wanted to score (the 500th goal) last year,” Malkin commented. “All summer, I was probably thinking too much about it. It was a long way to 500 and I’m glad to finally do it. We probably deserved to share this night together. It’s a great story.”

The Penguins now hold a 3-2-0 record. While the fact that they haven’t beaten any playoff teams yet is concerning, Pittsburgh has shown improvement from last season and appears poised to compete for a postseason spot.