Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is chasing NHL history. However, he is off to the second-slowest start in the past decade.

On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Colorado Avalanche for their 30th game of the 2024-25 season. 

As the Pittsburgh hockey community celebrates captain Sidney Crosby's 20th season, many are watching and waiting for him to become the first player to average a point per game (P/GP) for 20 seasons. 

However, after 29 games, he's only collected 27 points, which equals a 0.93 P/GP, slightly less than his career average of 1.25. 

There are still 53 games left, which gives Crosby plenty of time to make up ground. But with just 27 points in 2024-25, it's his second-lowest start over the past decade. 

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The Penguins had a rough start to the year, going 4-7-1 in October and 6-5-3 in November. However, they finished last month on their first three-game win streak.  

Goaltending and defensive lapses have been a leading concern for the club all season, and they remain dead last in the NHL regarding goals against—meanwhile, the Penguins rank in the middle of the pack regarding offense.

Crosby has been leading the team in scoring, one of only two players (Evgeni Malkin) with more than 20 points. 

He continues to lead all forwards in ice time (20:15), but his supporting cast, outside of Rickard Rakell, is not scoring enough to make the Penguins an offensive threat on a nightly basis. 

Considering Crosby only needs 55 points over the final 52 games to reach the magical point per game plateau, there are bound to be nights when he collects several points, like the six games he's already had to help his cause.

Legendary players with Crosby's skills can go on offensive tears that help their teams to season-changing win streaks. 

Since the Penguins are right in the thick of the wildcard race, each game closer to the end of the schedule will be important. Pittsburgh's captain will find moments to evaluate his game and his teammates in those crucial matchups.