PITTSBURGH \u2014 Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang made some history and the Pittsburgh Penguins made short work of the Vancouver Canucks.<\/p>\n
Crosby scored his fourth goal of the season to become the Penguins\u2019 all-time leader in points when including both regular-season and postseason games, passing Mario Lemieux, and four other Penguins scored in the 5-1 victory.<\/p>\n
SIDNEY. CROSBY.<\/p>\n
OH CAPTAIN OUR CAPTAIN \ud83e\udee1 pic.twitter.com\/PyPF30SUHb<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) October 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Letang recorded the 600th assist of his career in the victory.<\/p>\n Connor Dewar, Tommy Novak, Anthony Mantha and the red-hot Justin Brazeau also scored.<\/p>\n It was yet another strong night for a Penguins team that entered the season with low expectations yet is now boasting a 5-2 record with its next game coming on Thursday night in Florida against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.<\/p>\n The Penguins fell behind immediately, but Arturs Silovs settled down and looked strong against his former team, stopping 23 of 24 shots.<\/p>\n While Silovs played a strong game, he was not tested regularly. The Penguins were horribly sluggish in the game\u2019s first 10 minutes \u2014 the first home game after a long road trip typically does this \u2014 but when they found their game, they skated circles around the Canucks and utterly controlled the game.<\/p>\n Crosby was characteristically humble about passing Lemieux.<\/p>\n \u201cIt took me probably 500 more games,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve been here for a long time and have been fortunate to play with some great players. That\u2019s how I look at it.\u201d<\/p>\n In something that has become a theme, the Penguins received contributions seemingly from everyone in this game.<\/p>\n But Silovs, despite giving up a goal on the game\u2019s first shot, kept the Penguins in the game until they found their footing. He credited a good summer with his strong start to the season.<\/p>\n \u201cThe work I put in during the summer, during practices, and (to) actually execute and feel confident in my game,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s great to see that it helps me in the game.\u201d<\/p>\n The Penguins received two power-play goals and tallies for their first, second and fourth lines.<\/p>\n Ten postgame observations\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2022 It\u2019s still early. Very, very early.<\/p>\n But are we starting to believe that the Penguins are better than anticipated? It certainly looks that way, doesn\u2019t it?<\/p>\n If nothing less, it\u2019s been quite a good start to the season. Under Dan Muse, they\u2019re playing a far more respectable defensive game. Which is to say, they\u2019re actually committed to team defense and have largely eliminated the mistakes that have allowed an embarrassing amount of odd-man rushes in recent years.<\/p>\n They are noticeably bigger, with players such as Mantha and Brazeau making quite a difference. The youthful energy players such as Ben Kindel, Harrison Brunicke and Filip Hallander have added is clear.<\/p>\n Erik Karlsson is a way better player than he\u2019s been at any point in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n I wouldn\u2019t take out a loan for those playoff tickets just yet. But one has to be impressed with what the Penguins have done in the season\u2019s first 15 days.<\/p>\n \u2022 Crosby was right. He has played 517 more games than Lemieux.<\/p>\n Still, passing Lemieux as the all-time point leader when including regular-season and playoff games is still a remarkable achievement. I think 1,896 total points speak for themselves.<\/p>\n Following the game, Crosby made some comments about Lemieux that were pretty interesting. Lemieux, borderline estranged from the Penguins\u2019 organization the past few seasons, made a surprise appearance at the home opener and visited the Penguins in the locker room following that game.<\/p>\n It was pretty clear that Crosby liked having his former teammate, boss and landlord around the team.<\/p>\n \u201cI love seeing him around,\u201d Crosby said. \u201cI know how much he enjoys going to games and being a part of it. Any chance that we get to have him around is always special. For guys to get a chance to meet him \u2026 Hopefully we see him around a little more.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2022 Two events changed this game. It was 1-0 Vancouver in the first period when Silovs stoned Evander Kane on a breakaway. That was a huge moment.<\/p>\n Not long after, the Penguins\u2019 fourth line just took over the game on one shift. Noel Acciari doesn\u2019t appear to be a fan favorite on social media, but he\u2019s been outstanding the past three games. Blake Lizotte gives the line some speed and tenacity. And then there is Dewar, who scored his second goal of the season to even the game.<\/p>\n DEWAR KNOTS THIS ONE UP \ud83d\udea8 <\/p>\n A-Rod and the @steelers<\/a> were loving it \ud83d\ude06 pic.twitter.com\/3bfbcDvAk4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) October 21, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n What I like about Dewar is that he\u2019s a bottom-six player who understands his role. He plays like an adult. The Penguins have needed more practical players in the lineup for years. In Dewar, they have just that.<\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing special about his game, but he\u2019s steady and does his job well every night. There is something to be said for that.<\/p>\n This is a fourth line that is clicking at the moment.<\/p>\n \u2022 I\u2019ve been pretty hard on Letang recently and for good reason. He\u2019s endured a brutal start to the season.<\/p>\n This, however, was his best game. Not only did Letang record two assists and hit the 600-career assist mark, but he played a far better defensive game and cut down on the mental lapses that have plagued his game.<\/p>\n Perhaps this is a sign of good things to come. The Penguins badly need him to start playing better and he was quite solid in this game. He made a spectacular bank pass to set up Brazeau\u2019s goal.<\/p>\n 6\ufe0f\u20e30\ufe0f\u20e30\ufe0f\u20e3 ASSISTS FOR KRIS LETANG \ud83c\udf4e <\/p>\n 20TH DEFENSEMAN EVER TO GET THERE! pic.twitter.com\/qynqClZn8d<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) October 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n \u2022 Speaking of Brazeau, what is going on here?<\/p>\n That\u2019s the first three-point game of Brazeau\u2019s career. He now has five goals and eight points in seven games.<\/p>\n And nothing about what we are watching looks like a fluke.<\/p>\n He\u2019s a big man with a soft pair of hands. This is either a fringe NHL player on the hottest run of his life, or it\u2019s a good NHL player who is a late bloomer, and in the right place at the right time. We shall see.<\/p>\n The guy looks legitimate to me. He\u2019s the surprise of the early season.<\/p>\n \u2022 I didn\u2019t like Mantha\u2019s game in the first week of the season. He looked a little disinterested to me and stayed on the perimeter far too much.<\/p>\n He almost skated through the net when he scored in the second period of this game.<\/p>\n “THE PENGUINS HAVE BLOWN IT OPEN!” \u2013 @JG_PxP<\/a>\ud83d\udca5 <\/p>\n MANTHA PILES ON \ud83d\udea8 pic.twitter.com\/T7GRVnAgSW<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) October 22, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n That\u2019s more like it.<\/p>\n Given the way Evgeni Malkin is playing \u2014 he was outstanding again and now has 10 points in seven games \u2014 Mantha will score plenty of goals if he keeps crashing the net like that.<\/p>\n \u2022 Neither Kindel nor Brunicke contributed a point in this game.<\/p>\n And you know what?<\/p>\n I thought they were two of the best players on the ice. Kindel\u2019s touch on the puck is something to see. So is Brunicke\u2019s skating, which was on fine display in this game.<\/p>\n Kyle Dubas would be making a mistake if he sent either of them back to junior hockey. They\u2019re a couple of special teenagers.<\/p>\n \u2022 It\u2019s been some kind of a struggle for Novak. He scored his first goal of the season, and perhaps that will get him going.<\/p>\n Novak has been a profound disappointment through seven games, but things can always change. No one is questioning his talent.<\/p>\n That was quite a snipe on the game-winning goal.<\/p>\n NOVAK’S FIRST AS A PEN IS A BIG ONE! \ud83d\udea8 <\/p>\n PENS ON \ud83d\udd1d pic.twitter.com\/di0IrMPDjm<\/a><\/p>\n