Sidney Crosby Isn’t Done Yet - And Neither Are the Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins were supposed to be in the basement this season. A team in transition, maybe even in quiet pursuit of a lottery pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
That was the script. But Sidney Crosby?
He never got the memo.
At 38 years old, Crosby is doing what he’s done for over two decades - rewriting expectations, torching rival defenses, and dragging his team into the playoff picture by sheer will and world-class talent. Through 25 games, the Penguins are 13-7-5 with 31 points, clinging to the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. And make no mistake, Crosby is the engine driving this resurgence.
Vintage Crosby - With a Twist
Monday night in Philadelphia was another reminder that Crosby still owns real estate in the Flyers’ nightmares. He scored twice in a 5-1 win, a performance that felt familiar - because it is.
In 92 career games against the Flyers, Crosby has 60 goals and 138 points, more than any other player in NHL history against that franchise. His 29 goals in Philly?
The most ever by a visiting player.
But this isn’t just Crosby being Crosby. This version of him is pushing into new territory.
He’s not just maintaining a point-per-game pace - he’s scoring goals at a clip we haven’t seen from him since his prime. With 18 goals and 29 points in 25 games, he’s on pace for 59 goals - a number that would obliterate his career-high of 51 from the 2009-10 season.
Let that sink in: nearly 16 years after his most prolific scoring season, Crosby is threatening to top it. At 38. On a team many had written off.
A Hart-Worthy Run?
Crosby’s early-season brilliance is doing more than keeping Pittsburgh afloat - it’s forcing his name into the Hart Trophy conversation. And while it’s still early, if he continues this pace and leads the Penguins back to the postseason, he’ll have a compelling case to become the oldest MVP in NHL history.
He’s got competition. Nathan MacKinnon is off to a monster start in Colorado.
Connor McDavid is doing McDavid things in Edmonton. And the league’s next generation - Macklin Celebrini in San Jose and Connor Bedard in Chicago - are already making their mark.
But none of them are doing what Crosby is: leading a team that wasn’t supposed to be here, at an age when most of his peers are long retired or riding out their final years in reduced roles.
This isn’t just a feel-good story. It’s elite production wrapped in a legacy-defining moment.
Crosby already has three Stanley Cups, two Hart Trophies, and a résumé that guarantees a first-ballot Hall of Fame induction. But the narrative of a nearly 39-year-old captain lifting a flawed roster back into contention?
That’s something else entirely.
Don’t Count Him Out
It’s worth noting that Pittsburgh found itself in a similar position around this time last season - hovering near a playoff spot before fading down the stretch. But this season feels different.
There’s a bite to Crosby’s game, a fire that hasn’t dimmed with age. He’s not just playing well; he’s playing like a man on a mission.
And when Crosby is dialed in like this, the Penguins become a team no one wants to face.
Their next test comes Thursday in Tampa Bay - a tough matchup, no doubt. But if Crosby keeps playing like this, don’t be surprised if the Penguins keep climbing. Because if we’ve learned anything over the past 21 seasons, it’s this: never bet against Sidney Crosby.