Nathan MacKinnon's childhood idol and role model has turned into a training partner and an offseason neighbor back home in the Halifax area of their native Nova Scotia. One of his closest friends, too.

In the upcoming contest against the Philadelphia Flyers, which starts at 7:30 PM ET on Thursday, can we count on Sidney Crosby to find the back of the net for the Pittsburgh Penguins? Let’s dig into the most important stats and trends to figure out which player props you should be strongly considering.

Canada captain Sidney Crosby, right, hoists the trophy after defeating the United States following an overtime period of the 4 Nations Face-Off championship hockey game, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025, in Boston.

William Nylander scored 1:00 into overtime, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5 on Sunday. Nylander, Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies each had a goal and an assist as Toronto earned its fifth consecutive win.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has moved into the top ten on the NHL's all-time assists list. Crosby registered a goal and two assists in Sunday's 6-5 overtime loss at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs,

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (87) faces off against Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) in the third period overtime of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 24, 2024, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski) Friday Faceoff: Should the Colorado Avalanche trade for NHL superstar Sidney Crosby?

Pregame analysis and predictions of the Vegas Golden Knights vs. Pittsburgh Penguins NHL game to be played on March 11, 2025 on ESPN.

Sidney Crosby scored twice, Evgeni Malkin also had a goal and Tristan Jarry made 30 saves and had an assist to help the Pittsburgh Penguins snap a four-game skid with a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild.

Sidney Crosby scored twice, Evgeni Malkin also had a goal and Tristan Jarry made 30 saves and had an assist to help the Pittsburgh Penguins snap a four-game skid with a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild.

Captain Sidney Crosby scored two goals as the Pittsburgh Penguins spoiled Marc-Andre Fleury's final game against his former team, courtesy of a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday in Saint Paul,

The New York Rangers acquired young forward Brendan Brisson in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. The 23-year-old has some rather unique ties to Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby.

Nearly 22 years after the Pittsburgh Penguins made goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury the first pick in the 2003 NHL Draft and eight years after the sides parted company following their 2017 Stanley Cup championship,