Sidney Crosby continued his torrid start to the season with two goals and an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Florida Panthers 5-3 on Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena, extending their winning streak to four games.
The Penguins captain turned in his fourth multipoint performance of the season, giving him five goals over his last four contests — his longest goal-scoring streak since a four-game run late in the 2021-22 season. Crosby’s two power-play tallies marked his first multi–power-play goal game since Oct. 13, 2023, and the 11th of his career. Fittingly, Pittsburgh improved to 11-0-0 in such games.
Crosby’s night pushed him to within two points of joining an elite company: Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, and fellow Penguins legend Mario Lemieux — the only players in NHL history to record at least 1,700 career points with a single franchise.
Erik Karlsson and Evgeni Malkin each recorded two assists, while Ben Kindel, Rickard Rakell, and Connor Dewar also found the back of the net for Pittsburgh. The Penguins improved to 6-2-0, their best start since the 2019-20 campaign.
Tristan Jarry was sharp in goal, stopping 34 of 37 shots, including 22 saves over the final two periods as Florida pressed hard. Despite being outshot 31-9 over the last 40 minutes, Pittsburgh managed to outscore the Panthers 4-3 in that stretch.
Brad Marchand netted two goals for Florida, while Sam Reinhart added one. Seth Jones and rookie Mackie Samoskevich each collected two assists in the loss. It was a historic night as well — marking the first time that Crosby and Marchand both scored at least two goals in the same game.
Sergei Bobrovsky endured a tough outing, allowing five goals on just 16 shots before being pulled late.
The game also featured a unique family storyline — the second-ever regular-season meeting between the Jones brothers. Pittsburgh defenseman Caleb Jones faced off against his older brother Seth of the Panthers. Caleb improved to 2-0-0 in those head-to-head matchups, having previously beaten Seth’s team while with Colorado in a 5-0 win over Chicago in 2024.
With the victory, Pittsburgh continued to build early momentum as one of the Eastern Conference’s hottest teams, fueled by a vintage stretch from their captain.
Penguins: Host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. Panthers: Return home to face the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
