Crosby makes history, defense holds up in Penguins’ 3-2 win

PITTSBURGH — This article originally appeared on PGHHockeyNOW.com.

No one should have been surprised when Sidney Crosby scrawled his signature in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ record book again Sunday evening.

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More than a few people, however, might have been by the generally solid performance turned in by their patched-together defense during a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders at PPG Paints Arena.

Crosby set up Michael Bunting’s power-play goal early in the second period to record his 1,034th career assist, breaking Mario Lemieux’s franchise record, as the Penguins moved back on top of NHL .500 (17-16-5).

While that earned Crosby a standing ovation, the Penguins’ patched-up defense corps likely merited a little applause, too.

They played without two of their top four defensemen, Kris Letang and Marcus Pettersson, both of whom are recovering from unspecified lower-body injuries.

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