RUST SEEKING CAREER BESTS
Bryan Rust is having an exceptional year as he is currently just one goal away from matching his career-high total of 28 set in the 2023-24 season, and one point shy of tying his career high of 58 points achieved in the 2021-22 season.
Bryan Rust has five goals over his last six games (5G-3A) and is just one goal away from reaching the 200-goal mark. Only eight players in Penguins history have recorded more goals with the franchise than Rust.
LET THE ROOK COOK
Rookie Rutger McGroarty had himself a night in St. Louis on Thursday, registering his first NHL assist in the first period and then scoring his first NHL goal with just 25 seconds left in regulation to force overtime. Only six Penguins since Sidney Crosby’s debut have recorded a multi-point effort at a younger age than McGroarty, who did so just four days after his 21st birthday.
Daniel Sprong’s two-point outing over seven years ago on Jan. 5, 2018 against the New York Islanders (2G-1A) was the last time a player younger than McGroarty had multiple points on the Penguins.
WITNESSING GREATNESS
Sidney Crosby is statistically having one of the best seasons in NHL history by a player in their age 37 season or older, as his 82 points are tied for the eighth-most in a single season in league history.
Crosby notched an assist on Thursday night against St. Louis, stretching his point streak to 11 games. No NHL player has a longer active streak than Crosby. The captain’s 11-game point streak is one game shy of tying the NHL record for the longest point streak by a player age 37 or older.
RAK CITY
Rickard Rakell has been a goal-scoring machine this year as his 33 goals lead the team, and he is only one tally shy of his career high set during the 2017-18 season.
Rakell is having one of the best seasons by a winger in the Sidney Crosby Era (2005-Present), as only four players in that span not named Crosby or Evgeni Malkin have had more goals in a single season on Pittsburgh than Rakell’s 33.
SWEDISH STAR
Defenseman Erik Karlsson ranks first among team defensemen and fourth overall with 52 points (10G-42A) this season. He currently sits one point away from surpassing Markus Naslund for the ninth-most points by a Swedish-born player.
Karlsson is one goal shy of becoming just the 24th defenseman in NHL history to reach the 200-goal plateau. Among active blueliners, Karlsson’s 199 career goals rank second in the NHL.
Quick Hits
1) Kris Letang has seven points (2G-5A) and is plus-6 in his last 14 games against the Dallas Stars dating back to December 1, 2016.
2) Noel Acciari is one blocked shot shy of his second season with 100 or more blocked shots (2019-20, 103).
3) Erik Karlsson has scored 20 points (5G-15A) in 24 career games against Dallas. His 0.83 points-per-game currently ranks fifth among all active defensemen with a minimum of 10 games played against Dallas.
4) Historically, the Penguins power play has had success against the Stars, operating at a 34.2% rate all-time (123-360). It is their second-highest power-play percentage against all NHL clubs.
5) Blake Lizotte has reached the 10-goal plateau for the third time in his career this season. The forward is currently one goal shy of tying his career high of 11 goals, set during the 2022-23 season.
