Tim Benz: Sidney Crosby getting No. 500 against the Flyers would be perfect in so many ways

We can only assume that Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has done this on purpose, right?

During the first game back from the All-Star break on Feb. 8, Crosby scored career goal No. 499 of his career as part of a 4-2 win over the Boston Bruins.

Crosby then picked up a total of three assists as the Penguins also racked up victories against the Ottawa Senators (2-0) and New Jersey Devils (4-2) — without scoring No. 500 — along the way.

Obviously, Crosby has meticulously and intentionally masterminded this scenario to set up goal No. 500 to be scored in front of a home crowd at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday night, against the hated Philadelphia Flyers.

A 15-24-8 version of the Flyers that has lost 15 of 17, by the way.

So why stop at 500, Sid? Why not push that total to 502 with a hat trick? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time Crosby has burned his team’s loathed cross-state rivals.

Philadelphia players have enjoyed agitating him over the years. Flyers fans love to hate him. And Crosby has voiced similar opinions about them.

But Crosby has tortured Philadelphia like few others during his soon-to-be Hall of Fame career. In fact, if Crosby scores against Philly on Tuesday, it’ll be his 50th career goal against the Orange and Black.

Here are some other phun phacts about how Crosby has phrustrated Philadelphia phor years and years.

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• Crosby’s first goal and first point came against the Flyers on Oct. 14, 2005. That was the fifth game of his rookie season. He set up John LeClaire for a goal with three seconds left in the first period.

Crosby then scored at the 13:08 mark of the second period off a feed from Lyle Odelein before the Penguins fell 6-5 in overtime.

The infamous game when Derian Hatcher high-sticked Crosby twice, knocking out two of Crosby’s teeth, didn’t occur until his second trip into Philadelphia. Crosby scored twice that night — including the overtime winner — and had an assist en route to a 3-2 victory.

Crosby scored again three nights later against the Flyers at Mellon Arena. Philadelphia won that game 6-3, however.

• Crosby’s 49 goals versus the Flyers are the most that he has collected against any team. The next closest is the New York Islanders with 39.

• The Islanders are the team that has yielded the most points to Crosby over the years (123). Philadelphia is second on the list at 117, followed by the New York Rangers at 96.

• Crosby’s shooting percentage against the Flyers is 18.1%, the second-highest mark against Eastern Conference foes.

The only Eastern Conference opponent against whom Crosby has a better shooting percentage is the Toronto Maple Leafs (19.7%). He’s above 20% against a few Western Conference teams such as the Calgary Flames (27.1%), Seattle Kraken (25.0%), Colorado Avalanche (22.7%) and Anaheim Ducks (20.9%). But those numbers have been posted in significantly fewer games.

• Perhaps surprisingly, Crosby has three teams in front of the Flyers when it comes to time spent in the penalty box. He’s been hit with 68 penalty minutes against the Rangers and New Jersey Devils and 56 minutes against the Florida Panthers. Versus the Flyers, Crosby’s total is just fourth at 44 minutes in 1,607:50 worth of ice time.

• That ice time total is also the most in Crosby’s career against any franchise. The Islanders are second at 1,590:02. Philly is the team Crosby has played most frequently in his career (78 games). The Devils are next at 77.

• The first Flyers goalie to allow Crosby to score was Antero Niittymaki during that game on Oct. 14, 2005. Crosby scored against him 11 times over the course of their careers. Only Henrik Lundqvist (24), Jaroslav Halak (14) and Martin Brodeur (12) have allowed more goals to Crosby.

• Crosby also has 15 goals and 36 points in 23 playoff games against the Flyers.

• Crosby and the Penguins are 3-1 against the Flyers in playoff series during his career. He has won three Stanley Cups since entering the league in 2005-06. The Flyers haven’t won any since 1975.

In Tuesday’s “Breakfast With Benz” podcast, Pens Radio Network host Brian Metzer and Tim Benz discuss Crosby’s quest for 500, his history against the Flyers, Philadelphia’s woes this season and the latest Penguins winning streak.

Listen: Tim Benz and Brian Metzer talk Penguins hockey and Sidney Crosby’s quest for his 500th goal