Crosby clinches 16th point-per-game season, trailing Gretzky and Gordie Howe
Penguins captain also surpasses Malkin, Lemieux for most 20-plus goal seasons
Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust each scored their 20th goals of the season as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Saturday.
Crosby got an empty netter with 0.1 seconds to play. His goal came following a tense net-mouth scramble in which the Devils nearly tied the game.
Crosby surpassed Evgeni Malkin and Mario Lemieux for the most 20-plus goal seasons in franchise history. He's the 36th player in NHL history to have 13 or more 20-plus goal seasons.
Crosby's late goal also locked in his 16th season averaging at least a point a game.
WATCH | Crosby clinches 16th-point-per-game season, trails only Gretzky and Howe:
Crosby, who has 55 points in 47 games, joins Wayne Gretzky as the only players in NHL history to have a point-per-game season in each of their first 16 years in the league. Gordie Howe averaged a point-per-game in 17 seasons total.
Crosby has nine goals and 26 points in 19 games without Malkin in the lineup this season.
Jeff Carter, who was acquired by Pittsburgh in an April 12 trade with the Los Angeles Kings, scored his 10th of the season and second in three games.
Casey DeSmith stopped 34 shots and Jared McCann scored a power-play goal for the Penguins, who have 13 wins and points in 15 of their last 18 games overall.
Pittsburgh completed a three-game series sweep of New Jersey. The Penguins, who have points in their last nine home games, have nine wins in their last 12 games against the Devils.
New Jersey dropped its ninth straight game and 13th in 14 games overall. Miles Wood scored his 15th goal for the Devils, and Jack Hughes got his 11th.
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