Here’s Why Crosby Feels Goal-Scoring Slump Might End Soon

Sidney Crosby needed 1,295 games to score 600 goals in the National Hockey League.

Whether he’ll need another 1,295 to get No. 601 remains to be seen.

That isn’t likely, of course, but Crosby has gone 10 games without a goal since hitting that milestone, something reached by just 20 other players in league history. His slump is one of the most extended of his career, but is a lot more palatable to him because the Penguins have gone 7-2-1 since he last scored.

“I wouldn’t say it’s easy (to accept),” he said. “But it’s slightly easier when you’re winning games. I’m grateful that we’re still finding ways to win games.”

Crosby’s next chance to get a goal will come Thursday at 8:08 p.m., when the Penguins will face Nashville at Bridgestone Arena. And Crosby suggested that, based on precedent, having Pittsburgh Hockey Now raise the subject of his dry spell after practice Wednesday might portend that its end is nigh.

“Usually when I’m asked about it, that’s when it starts to change, so thank you,” he said, smiling. “What took you so long?”

That he’s gone without a goal for nearly a month does not reflect a lack of quality opportunities.

“Especially, I’d say, the last three games, I’ve had some really good looks and they haven’t gone in, hit some posts, things like that,” Crosby said.

Consider the Penguins’ 3-2 overtime victory against Los Angeles Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena. Crosby finished with a team-leading six shots on goal, and had several chances that could have — maybe even should have — resulted in Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper fishing a puck out of his net.

So while he is 0-for-30 from the field since beating Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka for his 600th on Nov. 23, neither Crosby nor coach Mike Sullivan figures that the drought will last much longer.

“You always want to score, and obviously, with some of the good looks, like I’ve had lately, you’re feeling like it’s just a matter of time,” Crosby said.

That seems to have been the case for teammate Evgeni Malkin, a reliable scorer for most of his career who had one goal in the previous 16 games before getting one against Los Angeles.

“For me, the biggest thing is just the process,” Sullivan said. “If they’re getting looks and the puck’s not going in the net for them, in a lot of ways, we don’t think that’s sustainable. If they weren’t getting looks, that’s a different conversation.

“(Crosby) had a bunch of them in the third period (against the Kings) alone. Sid had a great chance in Ottawa (Saturday) that he got from (Bryan Rust) in the third period, where they stripped the puck … (Crosby, Rust and linemate Rickard Rakell) won a puck battle in the high ice, the three of them … and they end up with a 3-on-1 and Sid gets a great chance.”

Although he is one of the most prolific point-producers ever to play at this level, Crosby has been through enough goal droughts since entering the league in 2005 that he’s cognizant of the importance of not allowing that to affect other facets of his game.

“I don’t think you can start to force it or start cheating,” he said. “You have to play the right way and trust that pucks are going to go in the net.”

And while Crosby has been unable to find the net lately, that hasn’t often been an issue for his teammates in recent weeks. The Penguins have scored 41 times during their surge back into contention for a playoff berth.

“We’ve been playing the right way, for the most part here, giving ourselves a chance to win every night,” Crosby said. “A product of that has been the puck going in the net. We’re defending well. We’ve been harder to play against. Hopefully, we can keep going here.”

Having Crosby convert scoring chances like some of those he’s had lately would help to make that possible.

“Some of those opportunities missed … maybe would have put games away,” he said. “I’m hoping that there’s a chunk that are due to go in here soon.”