Crosby's two goals lift Penguins

Mario Lemieux set the stage for the rookie's three-point performance.
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) -- Mario Lemieux chuckled when asked what he thought about Sidney Crosby's first two-goal game in the NHL.
"Everything that he is doing now is quite amazing at his age," Lemieux said after his 18-year-old linemate had three points in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders Thursday night.
Lemieux was pretty good, too. The Penguins' player-owner set up both of Crosby's goals and added a third assist as Pittsburgh rode a rare early lead to victory.
If not for Crosby, much of the talk around the Penguins could easily be about Lemieux -- who still has it at 40.
Crosby, the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, had a goal and an assist in the first period and then scored again in the third off a brilliant pass from Lemieux for his second three-point game in 13 contests. Crosby has at least one point in all but two games.
"Every time you get those chances you want to take advantage," the low-keyed Crosby said.
He gave the Penguins the lead just 4:40 in and then set up Mark Recchi's fourth goal to make it 2-0 at 15:27. Crosby pushed the lead to 5-1 at 4:01 of the third when he cut to the net to receive Lemieux's pass that sailed over the stick of Islanders defenseman Alexei Zhitnik. The rookie knocked the puck out of mid air for his fourth goal -- third on the power play.
"I just came over the blue line, and he is just the best at setting it up," Crosby said. "It was a nice pass and I just had to find a way to get open and he found a way to put it right on my tape."
Nothing special
But the multigoal game, the latest in a string of firsts for the player labeled as "The Next One," didn't seem to hold any special significance.
"Maybe there will be some other firsts, but I don't look at a two-goal game too high up on the firsts list," he said.
Crosby even took a holding penalty in the second period after he went back at defenseman Janne Niinimaa along the wall. Once the whistle blew, Ryan Malone quickly came to Crosby's defense.
Pittsburgh scored the first goal for only the second time this season. The Penguins hadn't enjoyed a 2-0 advantage in their first 12 contests -- six of which went to overtime. They have won three of four after losing their first nine games (0-4-5).
Erik Christensen, who made his NHL debut in Tuesday's 4-3 overtime win at New Jersey, scored his first goal and John LeClair made it 4-1 in the final minute of the second period. Defenseman Ryan Whitney, who also made his debut against the Devils, had three assists to give him four in two games.
Sebastien Caron made 22 saves in his fourth consecutive start as he continues to wrest the No. 1 goalie position away from Jocelyn Thibault.
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