Crosby’s breakaway goal spurs Pens past Canucks

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Vancouver’s hockey fans saw it in person in February, and from afar nine months later.

Sidney Crosby’s timing, as it often is, was perfect.

Crosby scored on a breakaway seven seconds after leaving the penalty box, Max Talbot added a short-handed goal and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Vancouver Canucks in regulation for the first time in 10 years, winning 3-1 on Wednesday night.

The Canucks were 7-0-1 against the Penguins since losing 4-2 on Nov. 3, 2000, and had won their last four in Pittsburgh.

Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 29 shots during his fourth consecutive strong game since ending a slump in which he lost six of seven. The Penguins won for only the fourth time in their first 10 games in the new Consol Energy Center.

Fleury was especially strong during the Canucks’ five power plays, two resulting from Crosby penalties.

“It’s not one day that you wake up and you’re all good,” Fleury said. “It takes good practices and you work in practice, you get a win and you just get better.”

With Crosby scoring his seventh goal in seven games and generating numerous scoring chances, sometimes while playing on a line with Evgeni Malkin, the Penguins bounced back from a 3-2 overtime loss to the Rangers on Monday in which they blew a late 2-1 lead.

Crosby jumped out of the penalty box late in the first period after Pittsburgh killed off his hooking penalty, collected Talbot’s pass off the boards in stride and beat Roberto Luongo with a quick wrist shot for his 13th goal and second in five career games against Vancouver.

“I thought I might be able to sneak out behind them and it was perfect timing,” Crosby said. “As soon as I came out, the puck was there.