Malkin, Crosby share another milestone night together in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have shared many milestones and memories throughout the last two decades as icons with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

They both enjoyed milestones on Wednesday night against the Buffalo Sabres when Malkin became the 48th player in NHL history to score 500 career goals and Crosby became the 10th player in NHL history with 1,600 regular-season points in a career.

Crosby’s overtime goal capped a 6-5 victory against Buffalo.

“I really wanted to score (the 500th goal) last year,” Malkin said. “All summer, I was probably thinking too much about it. It was a long way to 500 and I’m glad to finally do it.”

When Crosby scored his 500th NHL goal in 2022, Malkin provided the assist. Crosby returned the favor at 3:26 of the third period on Wednesday.

Crosby sent a between-the-legs pass from behind the net in front to Malkin, who was sitting on the ice when he flipped the puck past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The entire bench emptied to congratulate Malkin and the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

“It was a pretty awesome goal,” Crosby said. “I had a front-row seat watching him do that. I’ll have a great memory of that one.”

Malkin, who has the third-most goals in Penguins’ history with 500 in 1,150 games, is the 20th player in NHL history to score 500 goals with one team. The Penguins selected the 38-year-old Malkin No. 2 overall in the 2004 Draft and he’s teamed with Crosby to bring three Stanley Cup championships to Pittsburgh.

“When you look at the championships the Penguins have won while they’ve been here, their fingerprints are all over it,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “When you win Stanley Cups, it has a way of galvanizing relationships.”

Malkin joined Crosby (592), Washington’s Alex Ovechkin (853) and Nashville’s Steven Stamkos (555) as the only active players with 500 goals. Stamkos achieved it with Tampa Bay. Malkin also joins Ovechkin as the only Russian-born players in NHL history to reach the mark.

Pittsburgh is the second team in NHL history, behind Montreal, with three 500-goal scorers.

The Penguins’ superstars combined for a seven-point night against Buffalo. Crosby had a goal and two assists. Malkin, with a goal and three assists, has 11 points in five games and shows no signs of slowing down.

“I think (Malkin) has had a really strong start to the season,” Sullivan said. “When he’s at his best, the puck seems to follow him around and that’s what he’s doing right now.”

Crosby recorded his 1,600th regular-season point with the secondary assist on Bryan Rust’s power-play goal at 11:01 of the first period. The 37-year-old Crosby is the first player to reach the milestone since Jaromir Jagr on Oct. 6, 2011.

Crosby needed 1,277 games to reach 1,600 points, the fifth-fewest to reach the milestone. Crosby, who is in his 20th NHL season, is seven goals shy of reaching 600. He’s 39 points short of tying Hall of Famer Joe Sakic for ninth place in NHL history.

Crosby, selected No. 1 overall by Pittsburgh in the 2005 Draft, is 121 points behind Hall of Famer and Penguins’ legend Mario Lemieux for eighth place in league history. Lemieux’s 1,723 points is also the franchise record.

For one more night, Malkin and Crosby took center stage.

“We probably deserved to share this night together,” Malkin said. “It’s a great story.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) gets a shot behind Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) for the game-winning goal in overtime during an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin (71) celebrates his 500th NHL goal with teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin celebrates his 500th NHL goal with teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin celebrates his 500th NHL goal with teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (1) stops a shot attempt by Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin (71) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin celebrates his 500th NHL goal with teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Evgeni Malkin celebrates his 500th NHL goal with teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) celebrates his game-winning goal in overtime with Evgeni Malkin (71) and Erik Karlsson (65) during an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) celebrates his game-winning goal in overtime with Evgeni Malkin during an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) celebrates his game-winning goal in overtime with Evgeni Malkin during an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene Puskar)

NEW YORK (AP) — Shohei Ohtani launched a three-run homer for the Los Angeles Dodgers that punctuated their 8-0 victory over the New York Mets in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday night.

Kiké Hernández hit a two-run shot to make it 4-0 in the sixth inning and waved to the Citi Field crowd he quieted. Los Angeles rebounded from a loss at home and grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series by pitching its fourth shutout in the past five playoff games.

Ohtani connected in the eighth, a 410-foot drive that soared into the second deck in right field and barely stayed fair above the foul pole.

Max Muncy went deep in the ninth for his 13th career postseason homer, tying Corey Seager and Justin Turner for the franchise record. Muncy also connected in Game 2.

A fired-up Walker Buehler struck out Francisco Lindor to leave the bases loaded in the second, and the Dodgers got five stingy innings from their hard-throwing bullpen. Buehler combined with four relievers on a four-hitter.

Game 4 is Thursday night in Queens, with $325 million rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto scheduled to start for Los Angeles against veteran left-hander Jose Quintana.

Michael Kopech worked a hitless fifth for the win, and Dodgers pitchers finished with 13 strikeouts.

Mets starter Luis Severino fell behind 2-0 in the second, partly due to some shoddy fielding. He did not permit an earned run but threw 95 pitches and walked four in 4 2/3 innings, taking the loss.

Slumping catcher Will Smith knocked in a run with an infield single, and Tommy Edman had a sacrifice fly that could have been more if not for a sensational catch on the right-center warning track by Tyrone Taylor.

Los Angeles threw consecutive shutouts against San Diego to win their heated Division Series after trailing two games to one. Jack Flaherty and the Dodgers then blanked the Mets 9-0 in the NLCS opener Sunday, extending the team’s scoreless streak to 33 innings – matching a postseason record.

The only recent blip for the pitching staff came Monday, when Lindor hit a leadoff homer and the Mets won 7-3 at Chavez Ravine.

Ohtani entered batting .222 with a homer and five RBIs during his first postseason. The $700 million superstar sparked the offense in Game 1 against the Mets, but hadn’t gone deep since hitting a three-run homer early in the Division Series opener.

When he connected on an 0-1 cutter from Tylor Megill in the eighth, Ohtani pointed toward the Dodgers dugout. The ball was initially called fair, a ruling that stood following a replay review.

Dating to the regular season, Ohtani has 17 hits and 27 RBIs in his past 20 at-bats with runners in scoring position, including seven home runs. The leadoff hitter is 0 for 22 this postseason with the bases empty. With runners on, he is 7 for 9 with two homers and eight RBIs.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: 2B Gavin Lux was back in the lineup, batting sixth. Lux missed Game 2 because of a right hip flexor injury that forced him out of the series opener in the seventh inning.

UP NEXT

Yamamoto (7-2, 3.00 ERA) struggled in the Division Series opener against San Diego but then pitched five scoreless innings of two-hit ball to win the deciding Game 5 last Friday. He threw 39 of 63 pitches for strikes.

Quintana (10-10, 3.75 ERA) has not allowed an earned run over 11 innings in two playoff starts, both no-decisions. Going back to Aug. 25, the 35-year-old Quintana has given up just three earned runs in eight starts spanning 47 1/3 innings.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates his three-run home run against the New York Mets during the eighth inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates his three-run home run against the New York Mets during the eighth inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Fans cheer during the second inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Mets, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Teoscar Hernández breaks is bat and flys out against the New York Mets during the third inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Michael Kopech throws against the New York Mets during the fifth inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Tommy Edman hits a sacrifice fly during the second inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series against the New York Mets, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

The New York Mets line up for introductions before Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates his three-run home run against the New York Mets during the eighth inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani reacts after getting hit by a foul ball against the New York Mets during the sixth inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

New York Mets' Luis Severino is taken out of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fifth inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Max Muncy is safe past New York Mets second baseman Jose Iglesias during the second inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

New York Mets pitcher Luis Severino walks to the dugout during the first inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler and catcher Will Smith celebrate after New York Mets' Francisco Lindor strike out with the bases loaded to end the second inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Walker Buehler throws against the New York Mets during the first inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates his three-run home run against the New York Mets during the eighth inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates his three-run home run against the New York Mets during the eighth inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani hits a three-run home run against the New York Mets during the eighth inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Enrique Hernández celebrates his two-run home run against the New York Mets during the sixth inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani celebrates his three-run home run against the New York Mets during the eighth inning in Game 3 of a baseball NL Championship Series, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)