Sidney Crosby’s inability to score a goal in 10 consecutive games before Thursday wasn’t necessarily a concern. More of a curiosity.

At least to the person with hundreds of goals on his dazzling NHL resume.

“You always want to score,” Crosby said Wednesday in Cranberry. “And, obviously, when there’s some good looks, like I’ve had lately, you’re feeling like it’s only a matter of time.”

That time came Thursday as Crosby became the 21st player in NHL history to score 601 career goals, more than three weeks after he became the 21st player in NHL history to score 600 career goals Nov. 27.

Crosby’s offense — including three assists — helped the Pittsburgh Penguins claim a come-from-behind 5-4 overtime victory against the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The result boosted their record to 8-2-1 over the past 11 games and pushed them closer to a playoff-worthy position in the standings.

Forward Bryan Rust scored the winning goal at 1:17 of the overtime period.

“Hopefully, they start to go in bunches now,” Crosby said to reporters in Nashville via audio provided by the Penguins’ media relations staff. “Definitely a relief to see one go in.”

Predators forward Jonathan Marchessault opened the scoring with his ninth goal of the season 3:51 into regulation.

Collecting a loose puck above his own right circle, Marchessault banked the puck off the near boards in the neutral zone, allowing linemate Filip Forsberg to furiously gain the Penguins’ blue line on the left wing. As he encountered resistance in the left circle by Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, Forsberg slipped a pass to the front of the crease. Marchessault raced past Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson and tapped a forehand shot by goaltender Tristan Jarry’s glove. Forsberg and defenseman Luke Schenn had assists.

The Penguins tied the contest, 1-1, at 16:21 of the first period via Rust’s 13th goal of the campaign.

From his own end boards, Predators forward Ryan O’Reilly floated a puck in the air to the Penguins’ blue line in hopes of giving his team an opportunity for a line change. Karlsson alertly collected the puck at the blue line and flung a backhand pass to the home penalty box, allowing Crosby to gain the offensive zone as Predators players scurried on and off their bench.

Crosby faked a slapper in the left circle then pulled his stick down as backchecking Predators forward Colton Sissons slid out of position on his belly in hopes of blocking the sequence. Calmly, Crosby fed a short-area pass to the lower left circle where linemate Rickard Rakell one-touched it to the far side of the crease. From there, Rust directed the puck with his left skate off the near post then jabbed a backhander past goaltender Juuse Saros’ left skate. Rakell and Crosby collected assists.

The hosts regained a lead only 96 seconds later when forward Luke Evangelista scored his fourth goal during a power-play opportunity.

Off puck movement around the perimeter of the offensive zone, Predators forward Tommy Novak pumped a wrister on net that Jarry rejected. The ensuing rebound deflected to the low slot where Evangelista easily cleaned up with a wrister past Jarry’s glove. Assists belonged to Novak and defenseman Brady Skjei.

Predators forward Steven Stamkos’ ninth goal came 3:38 into the second period.

During a delayed penalty against the visitors, Predators forward Gustav Nyquist whipped a wrister from the Penguins’ right circle that Jarry fought off. Stationed just to the right of the crease, Forsberg was able to claim the rebound and shuffled a backhanded pass across the front of the crease to the lower edge of the left circle where Stamkos swept a forehand shot through a poke check attempt by Penguins forward Noel Acciari and by Jarry’s right skate on the near side. Forsberg and Nyquist forged assists.

Crosby’s ninth goal of the season came during a power-play sequence at 7:54 of the second frame.

Corralling a rimmed puck on the Predators’ right half-wall, Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin distributed it to the top of the opposite circle where Rust one-touched it to the center point. That allowed Karlsson to tee up and chop a one-timer just to the left of the crease where Crosby deftly re-directed the puck with the forehand of his stick blade by the blocker of a scrambling Saros on the near side. Karlsson and Rust registered assists.

Rakell’s team-leading 15th goal tied the game again at 9:08 of the second.

Rust harassed Predators defenseman Jeremy Lauzon into a turnover in Nashville’s right circle, allowing Crosby to claim possession at the right point. Skating to the top of the left circle, Crosby fed a small-area pass within the circle for Rakell, who forced another pass toward the top of the crease intended for Rust. However, Lauzon’s nightmare of a shift continued as he slid down to block the puck only to inadvertently deflect a blooper into the cage over Saros’ glove on the far side. Crosby and Rust recorded assists.

The hosts reclaimed a lead 7:44 into the third period with Skjei’s third goal.

Off a stretch pass from near the home bench by Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux, O’Reilly entered the offensive zone on the left wing and generated a two-on-one rush with Skjei against Penguins rookie defenseman Owen Pickering. Despite Pickering sliding down to his knees to create an impediment in the slot, O’Reilly was able to saucer a pass from the left circle to the opposite circle where Skjei stopped the puck with his right skate and then lifted a wrister over Jarry’s left shoulder on the near side. O’Reilly and L’Heureux had assists.

Karlsson and the Penguins persisted and tied the game again with his third goal at 11:36 of the third period.

Collecting a rebound to the right of Nashville’s crease, Crosby maneuvered behind the net and dished a backhand pass to the top of the left circle for Grzelcyk, who immediately offloaded the puck to Karlsson above the opposite circle. Surveying his options, Karlsson gripped and ripped a wrister through a chaotic battle above the blue paint and past Saros’ right leg on the far side. Assists went to Grzelcyk and Crosby.

Rust scored on the only shot in overtime.

Settling a loose puck at the center red line, Rust backhanded a pass to Malkin, who surged into the offensive zone and veered to the left wing. Off the half-wall, Malkin dished the puck back to Rust in the slot. Utilizing Skjei as a screen, Rust snapped off a wrister that glanced off Skjei’s stick and ramped over Saros’ glove before hitting twine. Malkin and defenseman Kris Letang had assists.

Jarry stopped 22 of 26 shots as his record improved to 7-4-2.

“Being able to get those wins really helps our team,” Jarry said. “We’ve been playing some really good hockey lately.”

Notes:

• The Penguins’ last overtime win against the Predators was a 3-2 home victory on April 10, 2022. Crosby scored the winning goal in that contest while short-handed.

• Penguins defenseman P.O Joseph was a healthy scratch one day after the Penguins re-acquired him in a trade with the St. Louis Blues. Speaking with reporters in Nashville, coach Mike Sullivan indicated Joseph was unable to travel to the city in time to join the team before the game.

• Penguins forwards Kevin Hayes and Jesse Puljujarvi were also healthy scratches.

• Rakell (136 points) surpassed defenseman Zarley Zalapski (135) for 67th place on the franchise’s career scoring list.

• In 24 career games against the Predators, Crosby has 32 points (nine goals, 23 assists).

• In 24 career games against the Predators, Rakell has 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists).

• In 21 career games against the Predators, Malkin has 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists).

• In 16 career games against the Predators, Rust has 16 points (nine goals, seven assists).

• In 45 career games against the Penguins, Stamkos has 49 points (19 goals, 30 assists).

• In 14 career games against the Penguins, Marchessault has 15 points (six goals, nine assists).

• Schenn recorded his 200th career point.