Letang nets Pens’ OT goal

Associated Press

NASHVILLE

Kris Letang scored on a slap shot with 1:11 left in overtime and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Nashville Predators 4-3 on Thursday night.

Sidney Crosby added two goals and an assist for Pittsburgh. Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist and Letang helped set up two scores, in addition to his winning goal.

David Legwand, Cody Franson and Patric Hornqvist scored for Nashville, which has played three consecutive overtime games. Martin Erat had two assists.

Hornqvist gave the Predators a 3-2 lead with a wrister a little more than five minutes into the third but Crosby tied it at the 12:56 mark, beating Pekka Rinne with a slap shot from the left circle for his sixth goal of the season.

Nashville jumped in front just 53 seconds into the game. Jordin Tootoo passed the puck to Legwand, who was stationed in front of the crease on the right side and beat Marc-Andre Fleury with a wrist shot.

Malkin tied it early in the second, scoring on a rebound of Mike Comrie’s shot.

Franson responded with a slap shot from high in the slot at the 8:03 mark that snapped a two-game power-play drought by the Predators.

Crosby has 10 points in his last eight games, including six goals. His wrister at 13:51 in the second went off of Rinne’s leg pads and into the net, tying it at 2.

Bruins 4, Capitals 1

BOSTON

Tim Thomas might be playing himself off of the trading block and back into the starting goaltender job with the Boston Bruins.

Thomas made 38 saves for his fourth straight victory. The 2009 Vezina Trophy winner, who lost his starting job to Tuukka Rask last season, was a foolhardy failed clearing pass away from his second shutout in four games.

“I’m hoping this isn’t just a hot streak; this is me now,” said Thomas, who had offseason surgery on the labrum in his left hip. “At times last year I felt like I was a one-legged goalie.”

Nathan Horton scored his fourth goal in five games, and No. 2 overall draft pick Tyler Seguin had an assist in his Boston debut as the Bruins beat Washington for the second consecutive game. Jason Chimera scored and Semyon Varlamov stopped 30 shots for the Capitals.