Crosby scores twice in Pens’ win

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Sidney Crosby is disproving the theory that the NHL would never again see a time when offense ruled and top goal scorers routinely averaged a goal a game.

Crosby scored twice during his fourth multiple-goal game in his last six, and the Pittsburgh Penguins won their 11th game in a row by beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Wednesday night.

The Penguins, 12-0-1 since last losing in regulation on Nov. 10, are on the second-longest winning streak in franchise history. Their only longer run was their NHL-record 17-game streak during a 119-point season in 1993.

That’s back when Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux regularly scored goals in bunches.

During a much different era when goals don’t come as easily and 100-point scorers are scarce, the 23-year-old Crosby leads the NHL with 26 goals and 50 points in 30 games

The former NHL MVP and scoring champion has 20 goals and 15 assists during a 17-game scoring streak that is two shy of his career best, and he has 14 goals during Pittsburgh’s winning streak.

Crosby also has nine goals in the Penguins’ last four home games. He also has at least one goal in 13 of 17 games, one reason some in the standing-room crowd 18,1568 began chanting, “M-V-P! M-V-P!”

There’s more: Crosby has figured in 22 of the Penguins’ 38 goals during a winning streak that began after they lost a 2-1 lead in the final minute of a 3-2 overtime loss to the Rangers on Nov. 15.

“It’s December, though, and there’s a lot of season left,” said Crosby, who also received a standing ovation. “As a group, we want to keep going and individually, [I] want to keep going. Just want to keep going.”

Crosby nearly got his third hat trick in four home games, using an inside-out move to fool goalie Jonas Gustavsson in the opening 30 seconds of the third period.

But the puck trickled off his stick inches shy of the goal line.