The first time the Avalanche and the Penguins met this season, on Oct. 17 at Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby was out with a concussion. The Avalanche won 4-3 in overtime, when Gabe Landeskog deflected in a Nathan MacKinnon shot, and at 2-0, Colorado still hadn’t lost under first-year coach Jared Bednar.
Crosby returned to the lineup a week later. Against the Avalanche in Denver Thursday, he will be seeking to become the 86th NHL player to reach 1,000 career points. Barring an unfathomable cold spell, only 11 players will have gotten to the benchmark in fewer games than Crosby.