36-year-old center to reach latest milestone against Sharks
©<\/span> Jeanine Leech\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
CRANBERRY, Pa. —<\/strong> Sidney Crosby<\/a>, on the verge of his 1,200th NHL game, is doing his part to help the Pittsburgh Penguins get untracked this season.
The center has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in nine games, including his highest goal total through the first nine games of a season since scoring five to start 2018-19.
But Pittsburgh is 3-6-0. It\u2019s lost five of six entering a game against the San Jose Sharks at SAP Center on Saturday (10 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, NBCSCA).
Still, Crosby remains devoted.
\u201cYou don\u2019t just love it when it\u2019s good to you,\u201d Crosby said. \u201cYou love it when it\u2019s tough and when it\u2019s difficult too. When that passion\u2019s not there, or that love\u2019s not there, it\u2019s probably time to stop doing it.\u201d
Crosby\u2019s 1,199 NHL games are the most in Penguins history. His 1,512 points, 555 goals and 957 assists are each second, behind Mario Lemieux (1,723 points; 690 goals, 1,033 assists in 915 games).
The 36-year-old has lifted the Stanley Cup three times (2009, 2016, 2017). He won the Hart Trophy as League MVP and the Art Ross Trophy as the points leader in 2006-07 and 2013-14, and the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL leader in goals in 2009-10 and 2016-17.
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Since those accolades, not much has changed.
In his 19th season since being selected No. 1 in the 2005 NHL Draft, Crosby remains one of the last players to leave the ice after practice, sometimes just outlasted by defenseman Kris Letang. He often speaks with Penguins coach Mike Sullivan at the white board along the glass, going over plays or formations.
\u201cA lot of it goes unseen,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I\u2019ve always said on so many occasions that it\u2019s not by accident that this guy is as good as he is. Yeah, he\u2019s talented, he\u2019s gifted and all of those things. But he maximizes every opportunity that he has to be at his best.
\u201cI think that commitment, in my experience of being around the game, has been unmatched by any other player I\u2019ve seen.\u201d
Crosby led Pittsburgh with 93 points (33 goals, 60 assists) in 82 games last season, his 18th straight averaging at least one point per game, the second most in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky (19).
\u201cNothing really surprises you at this point,\u201d said Jake Guentzel, the left wing on Crosby\u2019s line. \u201cHe\u2019s done it for such a long time. He\u2019s a high-end player and he does it all over the ice. It\u2019s been fun to watch over the years. He continues to amaze me. Every year, it seems like he\u2019s getting better.\u201d
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As captain, Crosby is usually one of the first to call a prospect after they\u2019ve been drafted by the Penguins. He does the same for players that have been acquired in a trade or signed in free agency.
\u201cDespite all the stardom and recognition, he\u2019s a guy that\u2019s down to earth,\u201d forward Bryan Rust said. \u201cHe treats everybody with respect. Doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re Mario Lemieux or the guy that\u2019s cleaning the locker room, he\u2019s going to treat you with the same level of respect.\u201d
Kyle Dubas saw that first-hand.
After five seasons as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Dubas spoke with Crosby before being hired as Penguins president of hockey operations on June 1, eventually taking on the full-time role of general manager Aug. 3.
\u201cYou hear all these things about Sid when you come in here,\u201d Dubas said Oct. 9. \u201cThen, every single day, you see a number of things that back it all up because you can\u2019t really believe, on the outside, that it\u2019s real. It\u2019s more than real.
\u201cEvery day, you see more and more things from him on the leadership side, commitment, how he brings other people with him to everything. It\u2019s not just about him and his routine. He wants the team to be together.\u201d
That impact could be needed for the Penguins, off to their worst start since beginning 0-4-5 in Crosby\u2019s 2005-06 rookie season.
Pittsburgh just lost three of four at home. Its next three will be on the road, beginning in San Jose.
Times have been easier for Crosby. But he hasn\u2019t lost perspective.
\u201cLike anything, there\u2019s challenges and adversity,\u201d Crosby said. \u201cYou get through it. I wouldn\u2019t trade it for anything. It\u2019s something I\u2019ve always dreamed of doing.
\u201cI feel pretty fortunate to be doing it. So, I try not to complain, that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

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36-year-old center to reach latest milestone against Sharks © Jeanine Leech\/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images CRANBERRY, Pa. — Sidney Crosby, on the verge of his 1,200th NHL game, is doing his part to help the Pittsburgh Penguins get untracked this season.The center has 10 points (five goals, five assists) in nine games, including his highest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83081","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n