Crosby named NHL first star of the week

“He scores goals nearly at will if you let him”, Getzlaf said of Crosby, who mustered only nine points in his first 18 games this season but has scored at least one goal in a career-high nine consecutive home games, the longest since Mario Lemieux’s 11-game streak in the 1995-96 campaign.

The Penguins have scored five or more goals in a game seven times this season, all in the past 20 games.

He continued his incredible run on Monday by turning the Anaheim Ducks into the National Hockey League version of the Washington Generals for the night. The Penguins have won their last five at home as well, which should allow them to snap Anaheim’s six-game win streak. The 30-year-old center has scored a paltry four goals in 46 games this season but leads the club with 30 assists.

Gibson was pulled following the Penguins’ sixth goal after making 25 saves.

Tomas Tatar opened the scoring four minutes into the third period before two goals from Pavel Datsyuk sealed the emphatic result.

The club got first period goals by Chris Kunitz, Conor Sheary and Carl Hagelin, and breakaway goals by Crosby in both the second and third periods to take a commanding lead.

Crosby got his first goal when he blocked Getzlaf’s shot near the blue line and got around the Ducks’ captain to speed up ice and put a low shot between Gibson’s pads. Maroon’s third of the season shortly before the intermission cut the deficit to two, but Crosby’s highlight-reel capper ended the competitive portion of things 3:35 into the third.

Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby felt Cam Fowler’s stick desperately tugging at his jersey and kept right on skating.

The two-goal lead was regained shortly when Kessel sprung Hagelin with a feed behind the defense. The Ducks were 0 for 2 with the man advantage…. It was New York’s fifth straight victory at Madison Square Garden, and the Rangers are 7-3 in their last 10 overall. Anaheim visits Philadelphia on Tuesday night….