Pens Points: Celebrating Crosby. Pickering Promoted.

Owen Pickering, the Penguins’ towering 2022 first-round pick, has earned a promotion to the team’s top defensive pairing.

Here are your Pens Points for this Monday morning...

In what was an otherwise dreadful game for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday, a lone sliver of positivity came when Sidney Crosby finally scored his 600th NHL goal. [PensBurgh]

Owen Pickering, the Penguins’ towering 2022 first-round pick, has not looked too out of place as a 20-year-old rookie in the big leagues, so much so that he earned a promotion to the team’s top defensive pairing. [Trib Live]

News and notes from around the NHL...

Former Boston Bruins head coach Jim Mongomery is back on his feet after being unemployed for five days. Montgomery was hired as coach of the St. Louis Blues on Sunday. He will replace Drew Bannister, who was fired. Montgomery signed a five-year contract with the Blues. [NHL]

San Jose Sharks legend Joe Thornton had his jersey retired by the organization on Saturday. [ESPN]

Connor Bedard, 2023’s rookie of the year, has three goals and 12 assists in 20 games for the Chicago Blackhawks this year but remains a very frustrated player. [ESPN]

The Utah Hockey Club got its first-ever taste of the Hockey Mecca that is Toronto on Sunday. The team’s bus got stuck in Toronto traffic, forcing players to walk to the arena. [Sportsnet]