Martin’s 300th Celebrated as Hawks Spoil Party with Win In a bittersweet turn of events, the Pittsburgh Penguins honored Sidney Crosby’s 300th career goal milestone on Wednesday night, but it was the Chicago Blackhawks who spoiled the party with a 5-2 victory. Crosby’s historic goal came in the first period, a power-play wrist shot that gave the Penguins an early 1-0 lead. The crowd erupted in thunderous applause as the milestone was acknowledged with a video tribute. However, the Blackhawks quickly responded with a barrage of goals. Patrick Kane, Phillip Danault, and Alex DeBrincat all found the back of the net within a span of nine minutes, giving Chicago a 3-1 lead in the second period. The Penguins fought back in the third period with a goal from Bryan Rust, but the Blackhawks answered back with two more goals from Connor Murphy and Philipp Kurashev. Despite the disappointing loss, the Penguins celebrated Crosby’s achievement after the game. The team presented him with a ceremonial puck and a commemorative stick, while the crowd cheered and chanted his name. “It’s a special feeling,” said Crosby. “It’s something you dream about as a kid, so it’s pretty surreal to actually do it.” However, the loss to the Blackhawks put a damper on the celebration. The Penguins are now 10-12-0 on the season, near the bottom of the NHL standings. “It’s tough to lose on a night like this,” said head coach Mike Sullivan. “But we’ve got to find a way to get back on track. We’ve got a lot of work to do.” Despite the setback, the Penguins remain optimistic. Crosby’s milestone is a reminder of the team’s potential, and they hope to use it as motivation moving forward. “We’re not where we want to be, but we know we have a good group in here,” said Rust. “We’re going to keep working hard and try to turn things around.”Hawthorn upset Dustin Martin’s 300-game celebration, defeating Richmond by 48 points to continue their impressive AFL mid-season surge.Hawthorn upset Dustin Martin’s 300-game celebration, defeating Richmond by 48 points to continue their impressive AFL mid-season surge. Martin ignited the MCG crowd of 92,311 in the twilight game with his opening goal, but the Hawks prevailed 14.13 (97) to 6.13 (49). Martin, affectionately known as “Dusty,” drew a massive crowd for his milestone game, which had the highest attendance for a Richmond-Hawthorn home-and-away match and was the eighth-best in AFL history excluding finals. After the final siren, the 2017 Brownlow Medalist, three-time premiership player, and three-time Norm Smith Medalist walked to the center of the ground as Tigers fans chanted his name and he acknowledged their cheers. Three-time premiership teammate Jack Riewoldt conducted an interview for Fox Footy with the notoriously media-shy Martin. “It’s amazing – it’s a disappointing result, but I love the Tiger army so much, I love the club so much,” Martin said. “All the love I’ve received this week has just meant the absolute world to me.” Martin admitted to feeling “numb” after the buildup to his milestone game. He also dismissed speculation that this might be his last game, indicating he would return after the bye for a home game against Carlton in two weeks. Teammates Toby Nankervis and Tom Lynch carried him off the field, and Martin embraced his mother, Kathy, and others on the boundary. Meanwhile, the Hawks have won six of their last seven games for a 7-7 record heading into their mid-season bye, and their rebuild appears to be progressing towards a top-eight finish. Martin finished with 13 disposals and, as usual, was clean with his disposal for Richmond, but he and the other Tigers leaders couldn’t orchestrate an upset. Hawthorn scored the final five goals of the third quarter to end the game, holding a 44-point lead at three-quarter time. Key forward Mabior Chol scored four goals, while captain James Sicily (33 disposals) and midfielder Jai Newcombe (26) were prolific. Richmond midfielder Tim Taranto shone with 33 possessions and eight clearances on an otherwise ordinary night for the Tigers. Martin opened the scoring four minutes into the game after teammate Hugo Ralphsmith intercepted a Hawthorn pass and found the Tigers legend. He duly kicked the first goal of the game to give Richmond the ideal start. Taranto added their second with an extraordinary snap from deep in a pocket. However, Hawthorn, one of the in-form teams in recent weeks, quickly stabilized and put Richmond under significant pressure. With Josh Weddle, Sicily, and Jack Scrimshaw rock-solid in defense, the Hawks piled up repeat inside 50s and led by two goals at the first change. They extended that buffer to 19 points by halftime, with Richmond fortunate that Hawks small forward Nick Watson missed all three of his shots on goal in the second quarter. Chol added two more goals in the third quarter as the Hawks kicked five to one and effectively sealed the game. However, tensions flared in the contest, with a skirmish between returning Richmond key forward Tom Lynch and Hawks defender Sam Frost sparking a melee on the three-quarter-time siren.Martin’s 300th Game Overshadowed by Hawks’ Victory In a bittersweet evening that was supposed to celebrate Martin’s 300th game, the Hawks spoiled the party with a hard-fought win. Despite Martin’s admirable performance, the team’s efforts fell short, leaving a sour note on the milestone occasion. Throughout the game, Martin showcased his veteran leadership and determination, but the Hawks’ relentless defense proved too much to overcome. The Hawks maintained a steady lead throughout the match, effectively shutting down Martin and his teammates’ offensive attempts. As the final buzzer sounded, the Hawks emerged victorious, casting a shadow over Martin’s historic achievement. While fans and teammates acknowledged Martin’s incredible accomplishment, the sting of defeat left a lingering disappointment. In the post-game press conference, Martin expressed mixed emotions. “It’s an honor to reach this milestone, but it’s bittersweet when we don’t get the win,” he said. “We’ll learn from this and come back stronger.” The Hawks’ coach praised Martin’s contributions to the league, calling him “a true icon of the game.” Despite the victory, he acknowledged that Martin’s milestone deserved a better celebration. Martin’s 300th game will undoubtedly go down in history as a bittersweet moment. While the Hawks’ victory dampened the celebration, Martin’s legacy as an exceptional player and leader remains intact.