Sidney Crosby scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and moved further up the NHL's all-time points list in the Pittsburgh Penguins' 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild on Monday.

Crosby also assisted on Jake Guentzel's power-play goal in the second period and now has 1,535 career points, two more than former teammate Mark Recchi for 13th in league history.

Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin also had a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh, which won for the third time in four games despite blowing an early 3-0 lead. Alex Nedeljkovic made 24 saves for the Penguins.

After Pittsburgh's Reilly Smith scored the lone goal of the first period, Guentzel redirected Erik Karlsson's one-timer 36 seconds into the second to give the Penguins a 2-0 advantage before Malkin extended the margin nearly three minutes later. 

The WIld responded, however, as Ryan Hartman and Jake Middleton scored 2:24 apart late in the second to cut the deficit to 3-2 before Minnesota tied the game on Vinni Lettieri's tip-in 5:33 into the third.

Minnesota's Kirill Kaprizov was sent off for high-sticking just 12 seconds after Lettieri's goal, though, and Crosby converted on the ensuing power play to send the Penguins back ahead.

Back in the win column.#EasyToCelebrate pic.twitter.com/4npZsXcrMB

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 19, 2023

Filip Gustavsson finished with 26 saves for the Wild, who had a three-game winning streak halted.

 

Markstrom helps Flames down Panthers in return

Jacob Markstrom made 33 saves in a sharp return from a fractured finger to help the Calgary Flames to a 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers.

Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman both had short-handed goals in the third period to back Markstrom in the goaltender's first appearance since Dec. 2. Martin Pospisil also had a goal as Calgary improved to 2-0-2 over its last four games.

Backlund's goal with the Panthers on a power play snapped a 1-1 tie 3:31 into the third period. Markstrom made 10 saves in the final stanza, which Coleman capped with an empty-net tally with 1:33 remaining to thwart Florida's comeback hopes.

Pospisil put Calgary ahead 8:45 into the opening period before Sam Reinhart's 18th goal of the season, a power-play score, tied the contest 31 seconds before the first intermission.

Anthony Stolarz stopped 22 of 24 shots in the Panthers' third loss in four games.

MAMA MIA!! pic.twitter.com/MSDj6RBf2y

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) December 19, 2023

 

Duchene sparks Stars' overtime win over Kraken

Matt Duchene scored twice before assisting on Thomas Harley's goal 2:16 into overtime that lifted the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken.

The Stars stretched their point streak to four games (3-0-1) behind Duchene's big night and a 35-save performance from Scott Wedgewood filling in for regular goaltender Jake Oettinger, who is week-to-week with a lower-body injury he sustained Friday against the Ottawa Senators.

Wedgewood did allow Eeli Tolvanen's goal with 21.8 seconds left in regulation that enabled the Kraken to also extend their point streak to four games (2-0-2).

Dallas built a 2-0 lead after one period on goals by Duchene and Jason Robertson, but Seattle's Tomas Tatar scored just 32 seconds into the second. Duchene struck again later in the period, though Matty Beniers scored off a Jordan Eberle feed with 6:12 left in the second to bring the Kraken within 3-2.

Beniers and Tatar also added assists for Seattle, which received 24 saves from Joey Daccord.

WE KNOW THAT'S RIGHT.@Lexus | #TexasHockey pic.twitter.com/V8txvBwTEq

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) December 19, 2023