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Pens' Crosby looks to end milestone chase vs. Coyotes (Feb 11, 2017)
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sidney Crosby admits he's growing weary of answering questions about his pursuit of 1,000 career points.
"I'd like to have it done by now," the Pittsburgh Penguins captain said Friday after the defending champions practiced at Gila River Arena before their game against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. "There's been some really good chances but I've found a lot of posts lately so that's the way it's going. Being so close, you just want to get it."
With just two more points, Crosby will become the 12th fastest - and the 86th player overall - in NHL history to reach 1,000 points after Vancouver's Henrik Sedin achieved the milestone earlier this season.
Arizona is a good place to start. Crosby has 20 points in 13 career games against the Coyotes and there's a good chance the Penguins will see the return of their other star center, Evgeni Malkin (lower body), after a six-game absence to bolster their lineup and take some attention away from Crosby.
"It would be great to get him back," Crosby said. "You can't really replace Geno. I think we've done a good job of hanging in there but we've had to fight through a lot of injuries lately."
Achieving 1,000 points has felt like a foregone conclusion for Crosby, who leads the NHL in goals (30) and points per game (1.28) and is tied with Edmonton's Connor McDavid in overall points at 60.
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said it's still startling when you step back and think about the number.
"I just think it's an indication of the player that he is," Sullivan said. "To reach that milestone or at least be knocking on the door in such few games is a testament to how good of a player he is.
"His offensive game is obvious to everyone but what we really appreciate about Sid is just his 200-foot game. We use him in so many different capacities but offensively, he's just so multi-faceted that he can beat you in so many different ways. He plays a speed game, he can play a finesse game, he can beat you off the rush, he can beat you with a grind game down low because he's so strong on the puck.
"He can generate offense so many ways and I think that's what separates him from others."
Sullivan said right winger Bryan Rust (upper body), who was injured Thursday in Denver, won't play against Arizona and will be re-evaluated back in Pittsburgh. Carl Hagelin (concussion) is day to day but won't play and fellow left winger Conor Sheary (upper body) is out until March.
For the Coyotes, center Martin Hanzal practiced on Friday after missing Thursday's loss to Montreal with an undisclosed illness.
"He's on the ice today so that's a positive," coach Dave Tippett said. "He'll be an evaluation tomorrow morning. We're hopeful."
Matt Murray is expected to start in goal for Pittsburgh while Mike Smith goes for Arizona. While the Coyotes admire what Crosby has achieved, they aren't keen on being a part of history Saturday.
"You want to rally around that," former Penguins defenseman Alex Goligoski said. "He's going to get 1,000 points at some point, but you don't want it to be against you."
