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Crosby's point streak reaches 17 as Pens win 11th straight

Dec 9, 2010 - 5:12 AM Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Sidney Crosby extended his point streak to 17 games with a pair of goals, and the Pittsburgh Penguins won their 11th straight game with a 5-2 rout of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Crosby now has 20 goals and 15 assists during the second-longest point streak of his career, as the Penguins ensured themselves of the second-longest win streak in franchise history. He has eight goals in his last four contests.

Pittsburgh still needs to win its next six games to tie the longest streak in its history, set during the 1992-93 season.

Mark Letestu also scored twice, while Chris Kunitz had three assists. Marc- Andre Fleury had to make 23 stops to earn the victory.

Tyler Bozak and Mikhail Grabovski tallied for the Leafs, who have lost five of their last seven games. Jonas Gustavsson allowed all five goals on 26 shots in defeat.

Crosby opened the scoring 8:35 into the game with his league-leading 25th goal of the season. Kunitz stole the puck in the neutral zone and passed to Crosby, who immediately dished back to Kunitz in the Toronto end. Kunitz's shot hit off the post, but Crosby was there for two rebound opportunities; the second one was tipped past Gustavsson.

In the second period, Pittsburgh scored three times in 3:08 to blow the game wide open.

At 11:38, Pascal Dupuis finished a 2-on-0 break with a shorthanded goal that beat Gustavsson above the shoulder, and Letestu extended the Pens' lead to three off a deflection out in front.

"(Dupuis) did a great play on the wall," Kunitz said. "He made a great play by putting it on his backhand. The goalie slid over a little and left that top area for him to put it in."

With 5:14 left in the period, Crosby finished off a 2-on-1 break with a perfect one-timer through the legs of Gustavsson, who immediately snapped his stick on the post in frustration.

"The turning point of the game -- they were outshooting us 20 to five or six," Toronto head coach Ron Wilson said of the second period. "I don't think that was the turning point of the game. The turning point of the game was the opening faceoff."

Toronto finally got on the board on Bozak's power play goal 4:36 into the third, and Grabovski's laser wrister from the top of the slot drew the Leafs to within two.

Despite outshooting the Penguins, 15-2, in the third, Toronto didn't get any closer, and Letestu scored again with 2:54 left to seal the game for the Penguins.

Game Notes

Crosby's career-long point streak is 19 games...The season series is tied, 1-1...Pittsburgh has not lost in regulation over its last 14 games (13-0-1) and has given up only 23 goals in that stretch...Letestu registered his first career multi-goal game.