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Crosby scores in shootout as Penguins top Rangers

Mar 2, 2007 - 4:55 AM NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Sidney Crosby put off a personal milestone for another day and settled for a simple victory.

Crosby netted the clincher in the shootout and Jordan Staal and Colby Armstrong scored shorthanded as the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied from a two-goal deficit for a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers.

The league's leading scorer with 97 points, Crosby tallied the only shootout goal in the third round when he found the gap in netminder Henrik Lundqvist pads as Pittsburgh snapped a two-game losing streak.

"When I was watching the first two guys, I just thought maybe I could try to make a quick move and it would open him up a bit," Crosby said. "He got a piece of it. It kind of trickled back, but I'll take it."

"He just shot it five-hole and it went in," Lundqvist said. "He is a great player. He sees the game very well. You have to be aware (of him) all the time. He is a player that shoots the puck very well."

However, Crosby will have to wait until Friday's contest against the Carolina Hurricanes to register the one point needed to become the youngest player in league history to reach 200 in his career. He is 19-years, 206 days old.

"I think we have the good fortune of watching this kid play hockey for a long time and I don't think he'll stop amazing of us," Rangers coach Tom Renney said. "Let's hope not."

A three-point night against the Hurricanes will enable Crosby to record his second straight 100-point season.

"Games are going to be tight," Crosby said. "We are not going to win by two or three goals every night. They played well. We had our chances and they had their chances. That is how you have to win sometimes. We are not even going to complain about wins."

"My toughest job is staying out of his way, I think," said left wing Gary Roberts, who made his debut with Pittsburgh after being acquired Tuesday from the Florida Panthers. "But no doubt, he's a great player, lots of speed. (He had) numerous chances tonight going to the net and just the puck didn't come out."

Sergei Gonchar tied the score, 3-3, with 6:00 remaining in regulation with his 11th goal of the season, a wrister from the high slot that beat Lundqvist to the top left corner of the net.

After Staal and Armstrong scored shorthanded tallies for the Penguins 2:29 apart in the third period, Blair Betts snapped a 2-2 deadlock at 4:43 of the session on a power play, netting a rebound from the slot past goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.

"Shorthanded goals are definitely a lot better goals," Staal said. "(They are) definitely a momentum changer. It really changes the game. It is more or less anticipating the play and jumping on opponents when they least expect it."

"That's the risk you run when you play forwards on the back end for starters," said Renney about the shorthanded goals. "That's the risk you run when you're scratching and clawing for points and trying to do whatever you can to score to win a hockey game."

Jaromir Jagr opened the scoring for the Rangers with his 24th goal of the campaign and 615th of his career with 2:24 left in the first period.

"We made too many mistakes," Jagr said. "Nothing really special happened. ... We had a 2-0 lead. You can talk after everything is done but you have to make a decision on the ice, to go or not to go. Everyone is smart when everything is done but you have to make a decision at the right time."

Just 69 seconds after Jagr tallied, Michael Nylander reached the 20-goal mark for the fourth time in his career, giving the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

Armstrong added an assist and Fleury stopped 32 shots for Pittsburgh, which has won three of the five meetings against the Rangers this season.

"I knew that we have such a good offensive team that if I could keep the score tied that we could come back," Fleury said. "It's fun. It was something (to) cheer about and the guys kept going from there. "It was motivating when you see your team getting goals. We got two quick goals and we're right back in the game and that's good."

Making his 28th consecutive appearance, Lundqvist made 30 saves for the Rangers, who fell to 13-14-5 at home.

"We cost ourselves one," Renney said. "We played a strong game. We were in control of it for the most part. A couple of mistakes and it was a different ballgame. That's hockey."