Sidney Crosby on the verge of history as Penguins visit the Bell Centre tonight

The Montreal Canadiens host the Pittsburgh Penguins with a record of 18-12-4 and 40 points, while Pittsburgh arrives with a 14-10-9 record and 37 points.

In the East, every point counts, but tonight, it is mainly the tally of number 87 that draws attention.

Sidney Crosby is one point away from tying Mario Lemieux at the top of the Penguins' all-time regular-season scoring list.

Crosby has 1,722 career points with Pittsburgh, with 644 goals and 1,078 assists in 1,384 games.

Lemieux finished his Penguins career with 1,723 points, 690 goals and 1,033 assists, in just 915 games.

The math is simple, and it fuels the imagination of fans. With one point, Crosby ties Lemieux, and with two points, he passes him. It is rare, in a single night at the Bell Centre, to see an active legend on the verge of a record of this magnitude.

At 38, Crosby has not slowed when it comes to scoring. This season, he has 35 points in 33 games, with 19 goals and 16 assists. His contract, which runs through the end of the 2026-27 season, keeps the door open to even more history.

And there is one detail that adds intrigue in Montreal. In 53 career games against the Canadiens, Crosby has recorded 70 points. That is a lot of nights where he found a way onto the scoresheet, even when the atmosphere was electric.

Canadiens fans do not come to applaud the opponent, but they recognize a rare moment. If Crosby strikes tonight, the Bell Centre may long remember the sound it makes when history is rewritten just two points away.