GAME RECAP: Penguins vs. Sabres (10.16.24) | Malkin Scores 500th Goal, Crosby Earns 1,600th Point

It was a night of milestones in Pittsburgh as the Penguins returned home to face the Buffalo Sabres. Things did not get off to a great start for the home team. Thompson and Greenway gave Buffalo a 2-0 lead early into the contest. Bryan Rust put Pittsburgh on the board just after the midway point in the period. On Rust’s goal, captain Sidney Crosby recorded his 1,600 career point. This is the first time that this milestone has been reached by an NHL player since Jaromir Jagr on Oct. 6, 2011. Peterka answered back only 32 seconds later, re-establishing Buffalo’s two-goal lead. In the 2nd period, Drew O’Connor jumpstarted a Pittsburgh comeback attempt with a 4-on-3 shorthanded goal. The final goal of the middle frame was earned off a backhanded shot from Jesse Puljujarvi, tying things up, 3-3. Then, it was Evgeni Malkin’s time to shine. Geno earned his 500th career tally less than three-and-a-half minutes into the 3rd period. Malkin has joined Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Steven Stamkos as the only active players with 500-plus goals, and is the 20th player in NHL history to score 500 goals with one team. Pittsburgh (Mario Lemieux, Crosby, Malkin) is the second team in NHL history to have three 500-goal scorers, joining the Montreal Canadiens (Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau, Maurice Richard). Malkin has also joined Ovechkin as the only Russian-born players in NHL history to reach the 500-goal plateau. The celebration was cut just a bit short as Peterka scored again less than 7 minutes later. McLeod increased the Sabres’ lead to 5-4, but the Penguins were not done. Rickard Rakell tied the game with only 46 seconds remaining in regulation. In overtime, the captain made his opportunity on the power play count, giving the Penguins two points.

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