Sidney Crosby didn't score in his NHL debut on Oct. 5, 2005 in New Jersey.
He did record his first career point in that game, a primary assist on a third-period power play goal by Mark Recchi.
Crosby reserved his first goal, a goal scored on Boston's Hannu Toivonen, for the home crowd in a game three days later at the Mellon Arena.
Crosby didn't score his 500th goal in New Jersey, either. After scoring his 499th career goal in Boston on Tuesday, Crosby went goalless in the Penguins' subsequent road games in Ottawa and New Jersey.
With the Penguins hosting the Metropolitan Division's last-place team, the Flyers, Tuesday evening at PPG Paints Arena, there's a decent chance that Crosby's next milestone goal will happen in front of the home fans too.
When Crosby scores his next goal, he'll be the 46th player in NHL history to hit the 500-goal mark, and the 18th to do it with one franchise. The Penguins will become the sixth franchise to have two 500-goal scorers in team history, joining the Blackhawks (Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull), Red Wings (Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman), Canadiens (Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau, Maurice Richard), Islanders (Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy), and the Kings (Marcel Dionne, Luc Robitaille).
Mario Lemieux's 500th goal came in a hat trick in a 7-5 road win over the Islanders on Oct. 27, 1995.
With goal No. 500 imminent for Crosby, it feels like a good time to take a look back at Crosby's other milestone goals from the first 499.
GOAL NO. 1
Oct. 5, 2005
Crosby's first goal came with 1:28 remaining in the second period in a 7-6 overtime loss to the Bruins at home.
“It was exciting," Crosby said after that game. "It was something I have been looking forward to for a long time so it was nice to get the first one. It’s too bad we lost. It’s great to score goals and set up guys, but I play to win.”
Crosby's landlord, captain, and franchise owner at the time, Mario Lemieux, was happy to see his tenant get his first.
“It was nice to see him get that first one, which is always the toughest,” Lemieux said. “The guys were waiting to see it and were really happy for him. It took a lot of pressure off him.”
GOAL NO. 100
Oct. 18, 2008
Crosby recorded both his 100th goal and 200th assist in a 4-1 win over the Maple Leafs at home, skating on a line alongside Evgeni Malkin.
"(Milestones) are nice," Crosby said after the goal. "It's not what you play for, but they're great accomplishments."
His other linemate, Pascal Dupuis, had high praise for Crosby after the game.
"He's is the best player in the league," said Dupuis. "It's always good to play with a guy like that."
Crosby also had three assists in the win, assisting on goals from Dupuis, Miroslav Satan and Petr Sykora. Toronto goaltender Curtis Joseph spoke afterward about the challenge of facing Crosby.
"Sidney was on tonight and kind of sunk us," Joseph said. "He's got great speed, and obviously his slap-passes are pretty accurate. He's in a good spot. Usually the best players keep you guessing, and he certainly does that out there."
GOAL NO. 200
Nov. 27, 2010
Crosby was denied by Miikka Kiprusoff on a penalty shot in the first period in a game at home against the Flames, and then just went on a tear. He scored goals 199, 200, and 201 for his sixth career regular-season hat trick in the 4-1 win.
He took home a few keepsake pucks after that one.
"I think they got me the hat trick (puck), and the 200th one," Crosby said after the win. "I don't know which ones they got, but they made sure they had them all, with a couple milestones there."
Crosby's first goal was an even-strength goal, the second was on a power play, and the third was shorthanded into an empty net. Had he converted on the penalty shot in the first period, he would have matched Lemieux's feat of being the only player to score a goal all five ways (power play, shorthanded even strength, empty net, penalty shot) in a single game, though with only four goals.
"Oh, geez, don't tell me that," Crosby said when the stat was pointed out to him after the game. "That's one thing I never thought would ever be beat. To know I came that close, that hurts, but it was fun and, obviously, I would have liked to have put that one in."
GOAL NO. 300
April 1, 2015
Crosby's 300th goal was the lone goal in a 4-1 loss to the Flyers at home. He picked up a rebound from Patric Hornqvist just 3:29 into the game and put it past Steve Mason:
GOAL NO. 400
Feb. 11, 2018
Crosby's 400th goal was the first major milestone goal of his to come on the road. Conor Sheary set up Crosby, who beat Jake Allen from the goal line 3:31 into the middle frame to tie the game en route to a 4-1 win in St. Louis.
The goal ended a 10-game goalless drought for Crosby.
"I still don't know how it trickled in," Crosby said of the goal. "It seemed like it took forever. It's been a long 10 games, so it's nice to see one go in. ... It's a nice number and you're happy when you get it. You want to get more and continue to go, but certainly it's not something you try to think about. When it takes that long, it kind of builds up that way."
Mike Sullivan called the goal a "typical Crosby goal."
"He's so good, he scores more goals from below the goal line than anybody I've seen," Sullivan said. "He's one of the few guys that thinks the game at such a high level."
