Pens Points: Crosby makes more history in loss to Canadiens

MONTREAL, QC - OCTOBER 31: Sidney Crosby (87) of the Pittsburgh Penguins stands in front of Jacob Fowler (32) of the Montréal Canadiens during the second period of the NHL game between the Pittsburg Penguins and the Montreal Canadiens on October 31, 2026, at the Bell Centre in Montreal, QC(Photo by Vincent Ethier/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning…The Pittsburgh Penguins have struggled with inconsistency in the first month of the 2026-27 season, with defensive breakdowns and costly turnovers undermining an otherwise decent offense. [Trib Live]In transactional news, the Penguins assigned forward Rutger McGroarty to the AHL affiliate, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, on Sunday. [Trib Live]Defenseman Spencer Stastney’s move from forward to defense during his youth hockey career helped put him on the path to the NHL. The 26-year-old has built his game around skating, defensive awareness and quick puck movement, giving Pittsburgh another option on its blue line. [Trib Live]More history for the captain: Sidney Crosby set an NHL record for the most regular-season assists with a single franchise during Saturday’s game against the Canadiens, recording his 1,112th assist with Pittsburgh on a power-play goal by Erik Karlsson. [KDKA]News and notes from around the NHL…Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov would consider the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens as potential trade destinations after informing the team he does not intend to re-sign and wants to be traded. [Sportsnet]The Seattle Kraken traded forward Shane Wright, the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NHL draft, to the Nashville Predators in exchange for forward Matthew Wood on Sunday in a one-for-one swap. [TSN]Winnipeg Jets head coach Scott Arniel said he is not concerned about his job security despite the team’s nine-game losing streak, which continued Sunday with a 7-0 defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes. [NHL]Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid became the fastest player in NHL history to record 30 assists in a season, reaching the milestone in 15 games with a second-period assist on Evan Bouchard’s power-play goal against the New York Rangers on Sunday. [Sportsnet]