Kessel, Crosby score 2 as Pens snap skid

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel came through for the reeling Pittsburgh Penguins.

Crosby and Kessel each scored twice and the Penguins beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-2 on Saturday night to end a season-high three-game losing streak.

“We needed that win tonight,” Kessel said. “We needed to find our footing and get a couple wins going. Tonight was a good start.”

Tristan Jarry, making his first home start, stopped 33 shots for his first NHL win. He also assisted on the first goal of the game and got the game puck from his teammates.

“It’s obviously very special, and it’s nice to get that out of the way,” Jarry said about his first NHL win. “It’s something I’ll never forget and it’s something I’ll cherish forever.”

Pittsburgh hasn’t lost four straight in regulation overall since Dec. 14-19, 2015, the first four games of coach Mike Sullivan’s tenure. The Penguins, playing without injured star forward Evgeni Malkin, also ended a two-game home regulation losing streak.

Kessel also had two assists, and Crosby had one, fueling a Penguins offense that scored three power-play goals and added another short-handed.

Kessel, with seven goals in his last nine games, scored his team-best 11th. Crosby, who has points in five of his last six, added his ninth.

Bryan Rust scored a short-handed goal, his third of the season for the Penguins, who have won 12 of their last 13 home games against Tampa Bay. Pittsburgh scored at least four goals in all 12 wins.

“I think our players understand the circumstance,” Sullivan said. “We all know where we stand in the league and our division. Our group has high expectations and I thought tonight was a solid effort from top to bottom.”

Ondrej Palat scored his seventh on the power play and Cory Conacher his first of the season for Tampa Bay. The Lightning, off to the best start in franchise history, have just five regulation losses, but three have come in the last four games.

Peter Budaj made 29 saves for Tampa Bay.