Crosby vs MacKinnon Headlines Friday's Two-Game NHL Slate

Crosby vs MacKinnon is the whole reason a two-game NHL Friday feels like a loaded one.

Sidney Crosby brings the Penguins into Ball Arena for a 9 p.m. ET date with Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche. And an hour later the Boston Bruins try to stretch their winning streak to four in Anaheim (NHL.com).

Two games, one headliner, and a night that runs past midnight on the East Coast. Worth it. Here's the case.

Crosby vs MacKinnon meet for 21st time

The Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia buddies go head-to-head for the first time this season and the 21st time in their NHL careers (NHL.com).

Twenty-one career meetings between two players of this caliber is a small number, which is exactly why every one of them counts. There's no division beef here, just two of the best of their era from the same hometown with a score to settle.

ESPN's preview frames it perfectly: future Hall of Famers and friends who are also "two of the most passionate competitors in the NHL" (ESPN).

That's the whole tension of this matchup.

The friendship is real, and it evaporates the second the puck drops.

These games don't do subtle, either. Last season the teams traded blowouts, a 7-2 Penguins win on March 16 and a 6-2 Avalanche win on March 24 (ESPN). When this pairing shares the ice, somebody usually ends up embarrassed.

Who dominates Crosby vs MacKinnon matchups?

The head-to-head isn't close, and pretending otherwise is nostalgia.

MacKinnon has 26 points in the previous 20 meetings, nine goals and 17 assists, with an 11-6-3 record, while Crosby counters with 17 points, nine goals and eight assists. And a 9-10-1 mark (NHL.com).

Count the goals: nine apiece. The entire gap is playmaking. MacKinnon has more than doubled Crosby's assist total, 17 to 8. And that tells you where these games get decided.

The streaks point the same direction. MacKinnon rides a five-game point streak against Pittsburgh with 12 points over that run, dating back to March 24, 2024, while Crosby has points in six of his past seven against Colorado, nine points since Feb. 7, 2023 (NHL.com). Fine hasn't been dominant.

Current form widens it further. MacKinnon leads the 4-2-1 Avalanche with 12 points in seven games, tied for seventh in NHL scoring according to TVA Sports. Crosby has two goals and two assists through seven, per TVA Sports. One wrinkle: MacKinnon was held scoreless in Wednesday's 3-2 shootout loss to Dallas (NHL.com). Guys like him don't stay quiet twice in a row, and he gets the last change at home. Expect a response game.

Bruins chase fourth straight in Anaheim

Don't sleep on the nightcap. Boston can run its winning streak to four games at Honda Center, a 10 p.m. ET start and the second stop on a four-game road trip (NHL.com).

The second game of a long trip is the classic trap spot.

The adrenaline from the trip opener is gone, the body clock is wrecked. And the home team controls the matchups. Winning anyway is what legitimate October teams do. And banked points in October are the ones you don't have to fight for in March.

What time do Friday's NHL games start?

Penguins at Avalanche: 9 p.m. ET at Ball Arena in Denver, on SN-PIT, KTVD, ALT, SN+ and TVAS (NHL.com).

Bruins at Ducks: 10 p.m. ET at Honda Center in Anaheim, carried on NESN among other outlets (NHL.com).

How many times have Crosby and MacKinnon played each other? Friday is meeting No. 21, their first of the season, between the two Cole Harbour natives (NHL.com).

So that's the night: round 21 in Denver, a shot at four straight in Anaheim. And an East Coast bedtime you should ignore.

The question that decides the headliner is simple.

Does MacKinnon push his point streak against Pittsburgh to six games, or does No. 87, sitting on a quiet two goals and two assists through seven, pick his biggest regular-season stage to flip the script?

Watch the first 10 minutes in Denver.

If the future Hall of Famers are skating like it's May, you're getting the good version of this.