Sidney Crosby Sets NHL Record as Penguins Face Canadiens

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby added another milestone to his storied career on Saturday, setting a new National Hockey League record for the most assists with a single franchise during a game against the Montreal Canadiens. Crosby earned his 1,112th career assist by setting up an Erik Karlsson power-play goal in the first period, surpassing the previous record held by Ray Bourque.

Later in the contest, Crosby recorded another helper on a goal by linemate Tommy Novak. Spending all 22 seasons of his career in Pittsburgh, the 39-year-old forward has accumulated 1,770 points. This puts him just one point away from tying Marcel Dionne for the sixth-most points in NHL history, and 28 points behind Ron Francis for the fifth spot.

While Crosby celebrated his historic achievement, the Penguins made a high-stakes decision in net by starting goaltender Sergei Murashov against a surging Montreal team. Josh Getzoff confirmed the goaltending choice, marking Murashov's first appearance since an October 17 game against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The decision to start Murashov represented a gamble for Pittsburgh, especially given Montreal's recent form. The Canadiens entered the matchup having won four consecutive games and five of their previous six, consistently scoring at least four goals in five of their last eight contests. Murashov carried a 0-3-1 record into the game, along with an .883 save percentage and a 3.50 goals-against average.

Pittsburgh aimed to bounce back following a tough 4-3 overtime loss to the Utah Mammoth. The team rolled out the same projected 18 skaters from Thursday's contest, featuring Tommy Novak, Sidney Crosby, and Rickard Rakell on the top forward line, while Erik Karlsson and Spencer Stastney anchored the first defensive pairing.

A victory against Montreal offered the Penguins a crucial opportunity to build momentum and prevent Metropolitan Division rivals such as the New York teams and the Washington Capitals from pulling away in the standings. Early in the 2026-27 campaign, Pittsburgh sought to recapture the form that led to a dominant 7-0 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers and an earlier overtime win against Montreal.