Crosby, Penguins continue streaks, beat Maple Leafs
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Penguins captain Sidney Crosby celebrates a second period goal in with teammates Paul Martin, Pascal Dupuis and Chris Kunitz during Wednesday's game against the Mapl Leafs at Consol Energy Center.
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Mark Letestu had to feel as if it had been forever since he had scored a goal.
Would have been understandable, if not entirely accurate.
Heck, it hadn't even been as long as it was since the last time Pascal Dupuis had, well, scored on a two-on-zero break. While short-handed.
Probably.
Letestu figured he hadn't gotten one in "roughly a month" -- actually, it was getting perilously close to two -- before scoring twice in the Penguins' 5-2 victory against Toronto Wednesday night at Consol Energy Center.
Dupuis, meanwhile, couldn't recall the most recent time he had been part of a two-on-zero break while killing a penalty.
"I don't think I've ever had one," he said.
Letestu's goal midway through the second period was his first in 23 games, ending a dry spell that began Oct. 21. He must have enjoyed it, because he got another for his first two-goal game in the NHL. While Letestu was delighted to end one streak, his teammates were pleased to keep a few others going.
The victory was the Penguins' 11th in a row, the second-longest such streak in franchise history, raised their record to 20-8-2 and kept them atop the NHL's overall standings.
Center Sidney Crosby, meanwhile, stretched his scoring streak to 17 games -- longest in the league this season -- with a couple of goals to run his league-leading total to 26. Crosby put up 21 of those between the time Letestu had gotten his fourth of the season Oct. 18 -- they actually were tied with four each after that night's game -- and when he ended his slump.
"He's playing pretty special hockey," Letestu said.
Crosby put the Penguins in front to stay when he knocked his own rebound past Toronto goalie Jonas Gustavsson at 8:35 of the opening period, but it was Dupuis' short-handed goal at 11:38 of the second that put the Penguins in control.
Craig Adams was serving a boarding minor when Dupuis and Chris Kunitz got the two-on-zero break that ended with Dupuis throwing a shot by Gustavsson for his seventh of the season.
Dupuis apologized for not passing to Kunitz, but Kunitz said it wasn't necessary.
First Published December 9, 2010 12:00 am
