Looking back at all of the Penguins 500 goal moments

Sidney Crosby became the 46th player in NHL history to score his 500th career goal on Tuesday night in the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers.

By doing so he became the fourth different player to score their 500th goal as a member of the Penguins, joining Mario Lemieux, Mark Recchi, and Joe Mullen. Crosby is just the second player to have scored 500 goals with the Penguins, joining only Lemieux.

So let us take a quick look back at all of the Penguins’ 500 goal moments because they are all unique in their own way.

Sidney Crosby: February 15, 2022

Might as well start here since we just saw it happen on Tuesday night. It honestly could not have been more fitting: At home, against the Philadelphia Flyers (the Penguins’ primary rival and a team that Crosby has frustrated and dominated for his entire career), with the primary assist being from Evgeni Malkin his longtime franchise cornerstone partner, and in a thrilling comeback win. Crosby scored on the power play from just inside the right circle, beating Flyers goalie Carter Hart. The only disappointing thing that comes from Crosby’s 500th goal is that it took him so long to reach the milestone given the injuries and paused seasons and lockouts during his career. With better health and scheduling luck he might have been going for his 600th goal on Tuesday night instead of his 500th goal. Adding to the hilarity of this goal being against the Flyers is that it is also his 50th career goal against the Flyers.

Mark Recchi: January 26, 2007

Mark Recchi had three different stops with the Penguins throughout his career, scoring 154 of his 577 career goals with the team.

That includes his 500th goal against the Dallas Stars during the 2006-07 season.

Recchi was 38 years old in this season and actually had a really productive season, scoring 24 goals and 68 points while playing 82 games.

His 500th goal came during a particularly strong stretch where he scored six goals and 10 total points (including two different four point games!) over a three-game stretch. That includes two goals in this particular game against the Dallas Stars.

Joe Mullen: March 14, 1997

Another player that scored his 500th goal with the Penguins during his second stop with the team. The Penguins initially acquired Mullen prior to the 1990-91 season where he would go on to be one of the final pieces of their Stanley Cup puzzle. After spending five years with the team he left as a free agent following the 1995-96 season to sign with the Boston Bruins. One year later, he returned to Pittsburgh on a quest to score his 500th goal. He appeared in only 54 games during the 1996-97 season, scoring just seven goals. But on March 14, 1997, he scored his 500th goal in a game against Patrick Roy and the Colorado Avalanche. By doing so he became the first American-born player in league history to score 500 goals (not long after becoming the first American-born player to record 1,000 total points). Mullen would score just two more goals the rest of the season and appeared in only one playoff game that year, scoring zero goals.

Mario Lemieux: October 26, 1995

This goal is a very vivid memory from my childhood. I remember him needing three goals in the game, I remember the Penguins trailing at one point, and I remember him scoring goals 499 and 500 in the third period of a very high scoring (7-5) win at the New York Islanders. When he scored goal 499 early in the third period you knew he was going to get the next goal that night to not only complete the hat trick, but also score his 500th goal. Then he did it. This goal made him the second fastest player to the 500 goal mark. Nothing like a hat trick goal also being a career milestone goal.