Crosby bests Ovechkin as Penguins rally to win

Sergei Gonchar scored the game-winner in overtime.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sergei Gonchar made up for two misplays by scoring in overtime after Darryl Sydor had tied it late in the third period, and the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied to beat the Washington Capitals 4-3 Thursday night.

Sidney Crosby, winning his head-to-head matchup against Alex Ovechkin as usual despite Ovechkin’s 26th goal, controlled the puck behind the net, carried it into the slot and faked a shot before throwing it behind him to Gonchar in the right circle for his seventh goal.

Washington’s Olaf Kolzig made 16 consecutive saves after Brent Johnson sprained his left knee late in the first period as Washington turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead, only to give up two goals in little more than three minutes. Sydor’s goal, his first with Pittsburgh in 31 games, came with 2:16 left in regulation. Gonchar won it 1:33 into overtime.

Crosby had two assists, giving him 17 points in 10 career games against Ovechkin — nine of them Penguins victories. Ovechkin has four goals and 10 points against Pittsburgh.

The Penguins, losers of four of their previous six, forced the overtime with Sydor’s power-play goal on a slap shot from the high slot with four seconds remaining on Shaone Morrisonn’s roughing penalty. Sydor’s goal was his first since March 2 against Columbus, when he played for Tampa Bay.

The Capitals, losing their fifth in seven games, had taken a 3-2 lead on Ovechkin’s goal late in the second after Pittsburgh failed repeatedly on what usually is a routine play, clearing the puck behind its net.

Ovechkin, who hasn’t gone consecutive games without a goal since Nov. 5-6, scored off Nicklas Backstrom’s pass after Gonchar couldn’t control Ty Conklin’s pass behind the net in the final 90 seconds of the second period.

Backstrom also assisted on Brian Pothier’s tying goal about 5 1/2 minutes into the second, faking a shot before making a drop pass to Pothier for a one-timer from the top of the right circle that Conklin couldn’t handle. Conklin stopped 22 shots and is 3-0 in four starts as Dany Sabourin’s backup. Starting goalie Marc-Andre Fleury remains out until early February with an ankle injury.

Donald Brashear had tied it at 1 late in the first period, the first time the Penguins mishandled the puck behind their net. Conklin tried to clear the puck along the goal line to Gonchar, but Boyd Gordon intercepted and fed to Brashear for his second of the season.

Jeff Taffe had put the Penguins up 1-0 earlier in the period with his first goal since being called up from the minors Dec. 19, a wrist shot from the left circle. Colby Armstrong’s fourth put Pittsburgh back into the lead at 2-1 about 2 1/2 minutes following Brashear’s goal, a backhander from along the goal line that was intended as a pass for Evgeni Malkin but deflected off Milan Jurcina’s stick.