Penguins’ Kris Letang Shares Which Change Led to Sidney Crosby’s Hot Streak

The Pittsburgh Penguins' 2024-25 NHL campaign has been a rollercoaster ride, however, things are starting to look up. Mike Sullivan's club snapped a six-game losing streak over the weekend with victories over the Anaheim Ducks and Montreal Canadiens, marking the first time the Penguins have won consecutive outings since the middle of October.

While hockey is a team sport, Pittsburgh's latest victories couldn't have happened without captain Sidney Crosby. The 37-year-old center scored two goals in each of the Penguins' back-to-back wins, including the game-winning marker in both efforts. 

Before his four-goal weekend, Crosby only had one goal in his first 11 games to begin the season. Naturally, fans were wondering what change led to the offensive uptick. 

When it comes to defenseman Kris Letang, he's crediting the Penguins captain's hot streak to the return of an old look. 

"(Crosby is) the mustache man again, I guess?" Letang told Matt Vensel of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "That freaking mustache gets him going." 

Slump busted. Sidney Crosby has exploded for three straight multi-point games. 

How has he done it? Apparently, it is a combination of a shot-first mindset, better positioning and his coach's gambit. 

Oh, and maybe a mustache, as well https://t.co/0WrK06kl2T — Matt Vensel (@mattvensel) November 3, 2024

Crosby and members of the Penguins have made it a tradition to grow mustaches for Movember. Every November, people around the world grow mustaches to raise awareness for men's health issues such as prostate and testicular cancer as well as mental health. 

As it turns out, this time of the year tends to be the most productive month for Crosby. In 203 career games played in November, the three-time Stanley Cup winner has scored more goals (110) than he has in any other month while his 256 points are second only to March (306). 

If November does bring out the best in Crosby, the Penguins need him to keep up the pace to continue turning their season around. Their 5-7-1 record through 13 games is only good enough for sixth in the Metropolitan Division and falling back into their old ways could see them miss the playoffs for the third straight year. 

Crosby will have the opportunity to continue his scoring tear when the Penguins visit the New York Islanders on Tuesday. A matchup against the divisional rival usually means an elevated performance from Crosby, who has more points against the Islander (134) than any other NHL team in his career.