Crosby breaks Lemieux's scoring record, Penguins beat Canadiens 4-3 in shootout to end 8-game skid

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby broke Mario Lemieux’s franchise scoring record and Rickard Rakell had the deciding goal in the shootout as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Sunday night to snap an eight-game losing streak.

Crosby, who began the night one point behind Lemieux, broke the mark in the first period with a goal and an assist and now has 645 goals and 1,079 assists for 1,724 points in 1,387 games. He also moved past Lemieux for the eighth-most points in NHL history.

Crosby, who has 20 goals this season, achieved his 18th 20-goal season. Only six players in NHL history have more.

Rakell had a goal and an assist in regulation and Noel Acciari also scored for the Penguins. Arturs Silovs had 23 saves for his first win since Nov. 6 against Washington.

Oliver Kapanen, Ivan Demidov and Noah Dobson scored for the Canadiens, who saw a brief two-game win streak end. Montreal is 4-1-2 since a 6-1 loss against Tampa Bay on Dec. 9. Jakub Dobes had 28 saves.

Kevin Hayes also scored for the Penguins in the shootout and Cole Caulfield tallied for the Canadiens. After Rakell gave Pittsburgh the lead in the third round, Silovs denied Nick Suzuki on Montreal's last attempt.

Pittsburgh, which is 1-4-4 in its last nine games, rebounded from consecutive shutout losses at Ottawa on Thursday and Montreal on Saturday. The Penguins won their first shootout this season.

Phillip Danault, who was traded to Montreal from Los Angeles on Friday, didn’t play on Sunday and is expected to play on Tuesday at Boston.

Pittsburgh led 3-2 entering the third period, but Dobson tied it with a backhand from the slot.

Crosby tipped Erik Karlsson’s point shot at 7:58 of the first period for a goal to tie the game and the record. Crosby then broke the mark with 7:20 left in the period when his shot on a power play hit Bryan Rust and Rakell tapped the rebound behind Dobes.

Crosby also passed Phil Esposito 449 for sole possession of the ninth-most even-strength goals in NHL history. He also tied Adam Oates for the eighth-most assists in NHL history in the first period.

UP NEXT

Canadiens: Continue a seven-game road trip at Boston on Tuesday.

Penguins: Visit Toronto on Tuesday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Montréal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, left, gloves a shot with Pittsburgh Penguins' Kris Letang, right, looking for a rebound and Cole Caufield, rear right, defending during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Montréal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes takes a shot off his mask during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Montréal Canadiens' Oliver Kapanen, right, celebrates with Juraj Slafkovský (20) after scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby (87) shoots through traffic for a goal which tied him with former Penguins player Mario Lemieux for the team's all-time points leader during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Montréal Canadiens in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Pittsburgh Penguins' Noel Acciari (55) celebrates after his goal with teammate Kris Letang, right, during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Montréal Canadiens in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — A Malaysian court Monday rejected former Prime Minister Najib Razak’s bid to serve the remainder of his graft sentence under house arrest.

The High Court ruled that a rare royal order issued by the nation’s former king was not valid as it wasn't made in accordance with constitutional requirements.

Najib’s lawyer told the court they plan to appeal the verdict.

The 72-year-old former prime minister will serve the remainder of his term in prison, scheduled to end in August 2028 after the Pardons Board cut the 12-year sentence by half last year.

Najib is serving time after being convicted in a trial linked to the multibillion-dollar looting of the 1MDB state fund that toppled his government in 2018. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison in 2020 for abuse of power, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving 42 million ringgit ($10.3 million) channeled into his bank accounts from SRC International, a former unit of 1MDB.

He began his sentence in August 2022 after losing his final appeal, becoming Malaysia’s first former leader to be jailed.

He filed an application in April 2024, saying he had information that then-King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah issued an addendum order allowing him to finish his sentence under house arrest. Najib claimed the addendum was issued during a pardons board meeting on Jan. 29, 2024, chaired by Sultan Abdullah, that shortened his punishment and sharply cut a fine.

While there was no dispute over the existence of the addendum order, Judge Alice Loke said the house arrest wasn't raised nor discussed at the Jan. 29 pardons board meeting. The king's prerogative of mercy must be carried out based on the advice of the pardons board under the constitution and cannot be made independently as it would “invite arbitrary decision,” she said.

The house arrest therefore, was “not a valid order” she ruled.

Najib didn't show much emotion, and later smiled when his lawyer described the ruling as “shocking” after the judge left the courtroom.

Najib denies wrongdoing, alleging that Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho duped him. Low, thought to be the mastermind of the scandal, remains at large.

Separately on Friday, the former leader will also find out if he is acquitted or convicted in a second graft trial that ties him directly to the 1MDB scandal. The High Court will rule on four charges of abuse of power to obtain over $700 million from 1MDB that went into Najib’s bank accounts, and 21 counts of money laundering involving the same amount.

If found guilty, Najib faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of abuse of power and up to five years for each of the money laundering charges.

Najib set up the 1MDB development fund shortly after he took office in 2009. Investigators allege at least $4.5 billion was stolen from the fund and laundered by Najib’s associates through layers of bank accounts in the U.S. and other countries.

The funds were allegedly used to finance Hollywood films and extravagant purchases that included hotels, a luxury yacht, art and jewelry.

A national outrage over the 1MDB scandal led to the historic 2018 election defeat of the party that had governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957.

Despite his conviction, Najib still holds clout in his party, the United Malays National Organization, which is now part of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim ’s unity government that took power after the 2022 elections.

Supporters of Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak gather outside the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Azneal Ishak)

Supporters of Malaysia's former Prime Minister Najib Razak gather outside the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Azneal Ishak)

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, is escorted by prison officers on his arrival at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Azneal Ishak)

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, is escorted by prison officers on his arrival at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Azneal Ishak)

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, is escorted by prison officers on his arrival at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Monday, Dec. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Azneal Ishak)