The Pittsburgh Penguins missed the postseason but were led by their captain in a historic season.

PITTSBURGH – The 2023-24 season has officially ended for the Pittsburgh Penguins, and for the second straight year, it will not feature an appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Penguins struggled to have solid position in the playoff race for most of the season and ultimately fell three points out of the Eastern Conference’s second wild card spot.

Despite the overall outcome not leaning in the Penguins favor, their captain put together one of his most memorable years. At the age of 36, Sidney Crosby surpassed multiple Hall of Famers on his climb up the all-time scoring list, reached the 1,000-assist mark, and secured his 19th point-per-game season.

It was a historic year that he capped off with one of the best performances ever seen by a player his age. At 36, Crosby finished the year with 42 goals and 52 assists for 92 total points. That puts him in a three-way tie with Teemu Selanne and Jean Ratelle as the most points ever scored by a 36-year-old.

Crosby deservedly received Hart Trophy talks early in the season and then saw those conversations reignite as he put the Penguins on his back down the stretch. While he won’t win the award without the Penguins in the playoffs, he still may steal some votes from the top contenders.

For the third time in his career, Crosby finished north of 40 goals and will enter this offseason eligible to sign a contract extension and secure his role as a Penguin for life. Speculation has risen before that he may want to leave Pittsburgh, but come July 1, it’s expected the announcement will come down that Crosby is staying with the Penguins.

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