First Call: Sidney Crosby, Jake Guentzel pass familiar names on scoring lists; Penguins face challenge from sizzling Jets
Share this post:
It’s a hockey heavy “First Call” for this Friday, as we remember a banner day in Penguins history.
We preview the team’s next opponent, who is on fire at the moment. Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel are taking some steps up the historic scoring ladders. Some former Penguins contributed to a wild game between St. Louis and Washington.
Plus we mix in some women’s basketball as the City Game is about to take place.
Familiar names
Sidney Crosby scored twice during the Penguins’ 6-4 victory Thursday in Minnesota. That means he now has nine goals and 21 points on the season.
Fun fact: Sidney Crosby has now scored the first goal of the game four times this season – that's tied for the league lead. pic.twitter.com/gsLyKGtALi
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 18, 2022
✨ HOCKEY MAGIC FROM THE CAPTAIN ✨ pic.twitter.com/1u8pInZZB0
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 18, 2022
It also means he has 526 goals for his career. That puts him in 35th place on the NHL’s all-time career goal scoring list. He is now one goal ahead of former teammate Marian Hossa and two in front of another ex-Penguin, Bryan Trottier.
Up next is Hall of Famer Frank Mahovlich with 533.
Meanwhile, as TribLIVE’s Seth Rorabaugh pointed out, Jake Guentzel (357 points) surpassed Alexei Kovalev (354) for 18th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.
Jake Guentzel (357 points) surpassed Alexei Kovalev (354) for 18th place on the franchise's career scoring list. pic.twitter.com/h6gHQgAD7V
— Seth Rorabaugh (@SethRorabaugh) November 18, 2022
Guentzel had a goal and two assists in the game.
Time flies
Yesterday marked the 25th anniversary of Mario Lemieux’s induction into the hockey Hall of Fame. He went in alongside Trottier as part of the 1997 class.
25 years ago today, Mario Lemieux, Bryan Trottier, Glen Sather, Flyers' announcer Gene Hart, and Ken McKenzie were inducted into the @HockeyHallFame #Hockey365 pic.twitter.com/Ho9xtqCWNU
— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) November 17, 2022
Lemieux was immediately inducted after his first retirement in 1997, waiving the normal three-year waiting period. He was the ninth such player to receive that honor.
When he returned to the ice in 2000, he became the third Hall of Famer to play after being inducted. The other two were Gordie Howe and Guy Lafleur. Here is Lemieux’s induction speech.
Taking off like a Jet
After that win in Minnesota Thursday, the Penguins now must face one of the hottest teams in hockey Saturday.
No, not the New Jersey Devils. They are insane, having just beaten Matt Murray and the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime for an 11th win in a row. The Devils have plenty of time to cool off before facing the Penguins Dec. 30.
Instead the Pens are in Winnipeg to face a Jets team that is 8-1-1 in its past 10 games. They just beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on Thursday. Kyle Connor had a hat trick.
THE HAT-TRICK HERO, KYLE CONNOR. pic.twitter.com/q6GBLI1kY3
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 18, 2022
Winnipeg has 21 points in the Central Division, just one behind the first-place Dallas Stars. They are allowing just 2.33 goals per game, best in the Western Conference and second in the NHL behind only the Boston Bruins (2.12). They also have the third-best penalty kill in hockey at 84.2%.
Greiss the Great and the Great 8
Former Penguin Thomas Greiss made 47 saves, as the St. Louis Blues won their fifth straight game in a wild one by holding off the Washington Capitals. St. Louis outlasted the Caps 5-4 in a six-round shootout Thursday at Enterprise Center.
"No." – Thomas Greiss pic.twitter.com/WQNlNF1rmX
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 18, 2022
After Washington fell behind 3-0, Alexander Ovechkin scored his first goal in five games to make it 3-1 at 15:12 of the second. Ovechkin tied Trottier for 18th all-time in NHL career points (1,425). It’s his 789th goal of his career.
7️⃣8️⃣9️⃣ pic.twitter.com/UMBUrEzwRS
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 18, 2022
Another ex-Penguin, Conor Sheary, tied the game at 4-4 to force overtime at the 16:57 mark of the third. But Pavel Buchnevich eventually scored the game-winner in the shootout for St. Louis.
BUCCCCCHHHHH! pic.twitter.com/xcBloZ75WP
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) November 18, 2022
The Blues now have 16 points, six behind the Stars in the Central. Washington, the Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers all have 17 points, tied for fifth in the Metropolitan.
Rivalry renewed
The City Game tips off at 6 p.m. Saturday night at the Petersen Events center between the Duquesne and Pitt women’s basketball teams.
Both clubs are 3-0 to start the year. Dan Burt’s Dukes have collected wins against Point Park, Brown and Manhattan.
Lance White’s Panthers have victories over Coppin State, George Mason and Bryant.
Pitt won last year’s City Game 69-64. Duquesne most recently won in 2019.
The men haven’t played the game since 2018.