"That freaking mustache": Sidney Crosby's long-term teammate Kris Letang jokes about reason behind No. 87's red-hot form

Sidney Crosby's Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Kris Letang jokingly attributed the former's purple-patch to his moustache.

The Penguins improved their record to 5-7-1 thanks to their victory on Saturday night against the visiting Montreal Canadiens at PPG Paints Arena; Crosby scored twice, his fourth and fifth goals of the season.

And according to Letang, there may be some magic in his choice of facial hair. Hockey players are notoriously superstitious, and it sounds like what Crosby is doing is paying off for him.

“He put an emphasis on shooting more. Everything is going to open up even more because he’s got so much attention,” Letang said [via Pittsburgh Hockey Now]

"I'm just glad he's the mustache man again, I guess. That freaking mustache gets him going. He told me I need to shave and get one," he continued.

Longtime Penguins teammates Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang may be closer to the end than the beginning in terms of their respective careers.

They've been 2/3 of the famed trio that has guided the Pittsburgh Penguins to the Stanley Cup three separate times. Their respective jersey numbers will one day likely hang in the rafters after their playing careers have come to an end.

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby continues to rack up the points

A future Hall of Famer, Sidney Crosby decided to continue his career with the Penguins when he agreed to a two-year contract extension worth $8.7 million per season. The contract value is supposedly a nod to his jersey No. 87 that he's worn since he emerged as a fresh-faced rookie in the 2005-06 season.

With his pair of goals on Saturday, Crosby now has 14 points on the season and is on pace to hit 88 points. In 2023-24, he hit 94 points with 42 goals (his best output since the 2016-17 season) and 52 assists.

For Crosby, who has especially taken off this season after being paired with Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell, it's all about hitting the right spots.

“(I’m) just trying to be in the right spots. Sometimes, when you press, you end up guessing or hesitating, and it ends up snowballing a bit. I think just getting back to being good positionally, just fundamental stuff, and then trusting that the chances will come,” said Crosby. “Obviously, playing with Racks and Geno, we’ve generated some looks, we have the puck, and I think that builds some confidence too.

Sidney Crosby and the rest of his teammates will continue their schedule by taking on the New York Islanders from UBS Arena on Tuesday.