• Recap
• Bleachers

Crosby scores twice as Penguins rally past Maple Leafs

Oct 14, 2007 - 3:16 AM TORONTO (Ticker) -- Sidney Crosby is finding his game at the right time for the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Crosby scored his first two goals of the season, including the game-winner on the power play late in the third period, as the Penguins rallied for a 6-4 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

The reigning Hart and Art Ross Trophy winner, Crosby entered with just two assists in his first three games this campaign. But after beginning Pittsburgh's comeback from a 3-1 deficit in the second period, the team captain tapped in a rolling puck in the crease with 5:22 left in the third after goaltender Vesa Toskala got a piece of defenseman Darryl Sydor's slap shot from the top of the left faceoff circle, snapping a 4-4 tie.

"It's nice to get one that way," Crosby said. "It's nice to get pretty ones, but they're all good. It's nice to finally put one in."

"They move the puck around well and they're shifty and slippery," Toronto defenseman Hal Gill said of the Penguins. "They're tough to play against."

Maxime Talbot added a shorthanded empty-netter in the final minute to cap a two-goal performance of his own and secure the win. Talbot leads the Penguins with three goals this season.

"To be the top scorer of the team, I'm not sure it's going to stay that way for real long," Talbot joked. "But it's just nice to get a couple of goals."

The Penguins got on the board first as Adam Hall won a faceoff in the right circle back to Erik Christensen, who fired a wrist shot just inside the left goalpost at 5:09 of the first period for his first goal of the season.

The lead lasted just 88 seconds, however, as Darcy Tucker buried a rebound at the left side of the net, knotting the game at 1-1. Toronto surged ahead at 8:39, when Nik Antropov gained possession in the right corner, walk to the side of the net and stuffed the puck past goaltender Dany Sabourin for his fourth of the campaign.

Sabourin was pulled several minutes later, leaving after making just four saves.

"I'll have to come back stronger next game," he said. "You always want to play a whole game and get the win. Hopefully, I can come back soon and get a win."

Captain Mats Sundin gave the Maple Leafs a 3-1 advantage just 55 seconds into the second session, but Crosby answered at 6:31, when his return pass attempt to Petr Sykora caromed off the skate of Toronto defenseman Pavel Kubina and past Toskala for his first tally of the season.

Talbot drew Pittsburgh even 19 seconds later, banging his own rebound by Toskala after carrying the puck from the right corner to the front of the net.

"We played like we did last year, desperate and stuff," Talbot said. "That's the Pittsburgh Penguins. Everybody pushes in the same direction. That's definitely the kind of game we want to win."

"It was a matter of time," Crosby said of his team's offensive burst. "We were playing good hockey, we had (19) shots in the first period. We were just sticking with the game plan. We kept playing the same way."

Ryan Malone backhanded the puck past Toskala while in the crease with four minutes to go after Evgeni Malkin's shot was stopped, giving the Penguins a 4-3 edge. But Jason Blake netted his first goal as a Maple Leaf 27 seconds afterward, converting a rebound from the doorstep to forge a 4-4 tie.

Sundin picked up an assist on Blake's tally, moving him past Hall of Famer Darryl Sittler for second place on the franchise list with 528. On Thursday, the Swede passed Sittler for first place in club history in goals and points.

Hall of Fame defenseman Borje Salming is Toronto's all-time leader with 620 assists.

Toskala yielded five goals but turned aside 46 shots for the Maple Leafs.

"It's way too much," Antropov said of the Penguins' 52 shots on goal. "They got like 20 every period. They outshot us by like 30 shots almost. The defense was not there tonight."

Marc-Andre Fleury made 19 saves for Pittsburgh in relief of Sabourin.

"I think it's definitely good for Fleury's confidence," Talbot said. "He's a great goaltender. He kept us in so many games last year, and he'll do it again this year."