The Pittsburgh Penguins won their tenth straight game on Thursday night, defeating the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference leading New York Rangers 5-2 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers have been in first for 79 days, but the red hot Pens are now just four points behind them in the standings and race for first place.
The highlight of the game was simply the return of stars Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang. Both logged significant ice time and added points in the third period as the Pens pulled away for the win. The Rangers started to apply heavy pressure at the end of the second period and while the Pens enjoyed a one-goal lead, it looked like New York had all the momentum heading into the final 20 minutes.
But Crosby would feed Chris Kunitz for a Pittsburgh score just three minutes into the third to bump the lead back to two goals. Pascal Dupuis would score three and a half minutes later to really remove all doubt, and Letang was credited with the assist on that strike. Letang was +5 on the night, while Crosby was +3. With the Pens already on fire, their return has to have Pittsburgh fans ecstatic as the stretch run heats up.
The Pens now head to New Jersey on Saturday looking to extend the win streak against the Devils.
For more news, analysis, and discussion on the Penguins, visit Pensburgh. For the opponent's perspective, check out Blueshirt Banter. Check out SB Nation's NHL news hub for all your hockey news as the playoffs approach.