PITTSBURGH, PA — Sidney Crosby’s goal and assist propelled the Pittsburgh Penguins to a narrow 4-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild at PPG Paints Arena on Monday. Crosby’s performance was not only pivotal in the game but also marked his ascent to the 13th most points in NHL history, surpassing Mark Recchi.
Crosby’s landmark achievement came in a game where the Penguins had to fend off a strong comeback from the Wild. Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin each contributed a goal and an assist, while goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made 24 saves. The Penguins (14-13-3), recovering from a 7-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, have now won three of their last four games.
The Wild (12-13-4), who had been on a three-game winning streak, found themselves down by three goals before mounting a significant comeback in the third period. Ryan Hartman, Jake Middleton, and Vinni Lettieri each scored for Minnesota, with Filip Gustavsson making 25 saves in the effort.
Pittsburgh established an early lead with Reilly Smith scoring in the first period, followed by goals from Guentzel and Malkin. The Wild responded in the third period with three consecutive goals, but Crosby’s power-play goal 47 seconds after Lettieri’s equalizer proved decisive.
Minnesota coach John Hynes praised the team’s effort to fight back into the game, while Penguins coach Mike Sullivan highlighted the team’s need to bring solutions and understand what ‘Penguins hockey’ looks like.Injuries and absences played a role in the game. Minnesota forward Mats Zuccarello was out with an upper-body injury and is day-to-day, while Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, a former Penguin, backed up Gustavsson and is expected to start the next game.
For Crosby, the game-winning goal was his 89th career game-winner, tying him with Luc Robitaille for 24th in NHL history. Crosby’s career game-winning points now stand at 254 (89 goals, 165 assists), the sixth-most in NHL history.
The Penguins’ win was a showcase of their resilience and ability to hold off a surging opponent, while the Wild will look to rebound from this close loss. Up next for the Penguins is a game against the Boston Bruins, while the Wild continue their back-to-back against the Bruins on Tuesday.
