Malkin scores 500th goal, Crosby hits 1,600 points for Penguins - ESPN

PITTSBURGH — Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have shared many milestones and memories throughout the past two decades as icons with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

They both enjoyed milestones Wednesday night against the Buffalo Sabres when Malkin became the 48th player in NHL history to score 500 career goals and Crosby became the 10th player in NHL history with 1,600 regular-season points in a career.

Crosby's overtime goal capped a 6-5 victory against Buffalo.

«I really wanted to score [the 500th goal] last year,» Malkin said. «All summer, I was probably thinking too much about it. It was a long way to 500 and I'm glad to finally do it.»

When Crosby scored his 500th NHL goal in 2022, Malkin provided the assist. Crosby returned the favor at 3:26 of the third period Wednesday.

Crosby sent a between-the-legs pass from behind the net in front to Malkin, who was sitting on the ice when he flipped the puck past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The bench emptied to congratulate Malkin, and the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

«It was a pretty awesome goal,» Crosby said. «I had a front-row seat watching him do that. I'll have a great memory of that one.»

Malkin, who has the third-most goals in Penguins' history with 500 in 1,150 games, is the 20th player in NHL history to score 500 goals with one team. The Penguins selected the 38-year-old Malkin No. 2 overall in the 2004 draft, and he has teamed with Crosby to bring three Stanley Cup championships to Pittsburgh.

«When you look at the championships the Penguins have won while they've been here, their fingerprints are all over it,» Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. «When you win Stanley Cups, it has a way of galvanizing relationships.»

Malkin joined Crosby (592), Washington's Alex Ovechkin