PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Sidney Crosby scored three times after Calgary goalie Miikka Kiprusoff stopped him on a penalty shot early in the game and the Pittsburgh Penguins won their sixth in a row, beating the Flames 4-1 on Saturday behind backup goalie Brent Johnson.
Crosby made it 2-0 in the second period by putting in Chris Kunitz’s rebound, then scored his 200th career goal midway through the third when Paul Martin’s shot from above the circles deflected off Crosby’s stick.
Crosby completed his sixth regular-season hat trick and first this season by scoring into an empty net with 36.4 seconds left during a Flames power play in which Calgary created a two-man advantage by pulling Kiprusoff.
Crosby has 12 goals and 13 assists during a 12-game scoring streak. He has 18 goals overall.
The Penguins’ winning streak is their longest since they won seven in a row in October 2009.
Johnson made 30 saves during his first start since Nov. 10 against Boston, but lost his shutout when Rene Bourque scored his 11th goal and second in three games at 13:03 of the third.
Arron Asham also scored for Pittsburgh.
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP)—Bobby Ryan had his second career hat trick to help Anaheim erase a two-goal deficit and snap Phoenix’s winning streak at seven games.
Ryan scored three of Anaheim’s five consecutive goals after Phoenix took a 3-1 lead early in the second period. The short-handed Ducks had lost six straight and were playing for the second night in a row after losing 4-1 at home to Chicago on Friday.
Rookie Brandon McMillan’s first NHL goal put Anaheim ahead for good at 4-3 with 13:21 to play. Jason Blake and Corey Perry also scored for Anaheim, and Ryan Getzlaf had four assists.
Shane Doan, Keith Yandle and Scottie Upshall and Derek Morris scored for Phoenix. The Coyotes lost in regulation for the first time in 10 games.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP)—Travis Zajac scored in the fourth round of a shootout, and Johan Hedberg made 40 saves for New Jersey in his fourth straight start with Martin Brodeur sidelined by a bruised elbow.
Adam Mair in regulation to help the Devils win for the third time in four games.
Danny Briere scored on a power-play goal in the third period for Philadelphia.
MONTREAL (AP)—Brian Gionta had two goals and an assist and Carey Price made 34 saves for the Canadiens.
Gionta set up Andrei Kostitsyn’s goal during a two-man advantage in the first, then added goals 4:20 apart in the second to help the Canadiens rebound from a 3-0 loss in Atlanta on Friday.
Kostitsyn had a goal and an assist, and Tomas Plekanec also had two points.
Jordan Leopold scored for Buffalo with 1:13 left.
ST. LOUIS (AP)—Kari Lehtonen stifled St. Louis again, Jamie Benn had another big goal and Dallas beat the Blues to sweep a home-and-home series.
The Stars rallied in the third period for the second straight night, beating Jaroslav Halak on two of their first five shots. Benn tied it and Loui Eriksson scored on a power play for the lead at 5:05.
B.J. Crombeen scored late in the second period for the Blues, who were the last NHL team to lose in regulation at home. St. Louis has 17 points in its first 10 home games, going 8-1-1.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—Stephen Weiss scored the winner in the fourth round of a shootout for Florida.
Radek Dvorak scored on a penalty shot, and Dmitry Kulikov and Shawn Matthias also scored in regulation for the Panthers, who stopped a three-game losing streak. Florida went 0 for 4 on the power play and has failed to score in 37 straight opportunities.
Teddy Purcell, Dana Tyrell and Sean Bergenheim scored for Tampa Bay.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—Erik Christensen scored the only goal in a shootout to lift the Rangers.
After losing in Tampa Bay on Wednesday, the Rangers shut out Florida on Friday and beat Nashville to close their three-game, four-day trip. The Predators have lost four straight, two in shootouts.
Ryan Callahan scored for New York in regulation, and Colin Wilson connected for Nashville.
OTTAWA (AP)—Mike Fisher scored twice and Brian Elliott made 29 saves for the Senators.
The line of Fisher, Alex Kovalev and Milan Michalek accounted for all the scoring, with Kovalev scoring the other goal and adding two assists and Michalek finishing with two assists.
DENVER (AP)—Greg Mauldin scored two goals to fuel Colorado’s four-goal burst in the second period, and the Avalanche had a season-high goals total to snap a three-game losing streak.
Paul Stastny, Milan Hejduk, Kevin Shattenkirk, David Jones and Matt Duchene also scored for Colorado. Kyle Brodziak scored twice for Minnesota, and Antti Miettinen and Matt Cullen added goals.
EDMONTON (AP)—Dany Heatley had two goals and an assist for San Jose.
Benn Ferriero and Joe Pavelski also scored for San Jose. The Sharks are 11-7-4 overall and 4-4-2 on the road after winning for the first time away from San Jose since beating Edmonton on Oct. 23.
Sam Gagner, Shawn Horcoff and Jim Vandermeer scored for Edmonton. The Oilers have lost eight of their last 10 games to drop to 6-12-4.
LOS ANGELES (AP)—Patrick Sharp scored for the fifth time in six games to snap a scoreless tie, Patrick Kane also had a goal and an assist, and Chicago finished it annual “circus trip” 4-2-0.
Corey Crawford started consecutive games for the second time this season and made 21 saves, after stopping 26 shots Friday in a 5-2 victory down the freeway in Anaheim.
He lost his shutout bid with 5:02 remaining when Anze Kopitar beat him high to the glove side with a screened 45-foot slapshot in the slot during a 5-on-3 power play. Crawford has allowed no more than two goals in any of his last six starts
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