Crosby reaches 400 goals in Pens’ win
ST. LOUIS — Sidney Crosby got another milestone goal on Sunday. The puck went right to his dad.
Crosby scored twice, including his 400th career goal, and the Pittsburgh Penguins pulled away from the St. Louis Blues for a 4-1 victory.
Bryan Rust snapped a tie with a third-period tally and Riley Sheahan also scored for the Penguins, who have won 12 of their past 17. Matt Murray made 33 saves.
Crosby had not scored in his previous 10 games dating to Jan. 14. The captain stopped the drought in the second period in front of his father Troy, who was on the two-game fathers’ trip that began Friday in Dallas.
“It’s tough when you’re waiting that long to get it, but it’s definitely worth the wait to have my dad here,” Crosby said. “So many early mornings and sacrifices so I could play hockey. It’s special to have him here.”
Troy Crosby got the puck after the game along with a big hug.
“It’s just so nice to be here,” Troy Crosby said. “To be able to share it with him, there are just no words to describe it.”
Kyle Brodziak scored for St. Louis, which had won two in a row. Jake Allen had 19 stops.
Crosby jammed a shot under Allen’s pad from the side of the net at 3:31, tying it at 1 with his 18th of the season. He becomes the 95th player in NHL history to reach the 400-goal mark.
“I still don’t know how it trickled in, it seemed like it took forever,” Crosby said. “You’re trying to put it in that area, short side. Somehow it kind of found its way in.”
Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan marveled as Crosby’s skills.
“He scores more goals from below the goal line than anybody I’ve ever seen and he’s one of the few guys that thinks the game at such a high level,” Sullivan said. “It was a typical Crosby goal.”
Crosby added an empty-net goal with 2:48 left.
Tomas Tatar scored his second goal of the game 2:47 into overtime, helping Detroit avoid a second straight embarrassing loss on the road.
Jimmy Vesey scored with 3:53 left in the third period, sending the Rangers to the road win. Vesey returned to the lineup after missing three games with a concussion and picked up his 11th of season when he deflected Brady Skjei’s shot after it hit a Jets player.
Reid Boucher scored his first two goals of the season and Jacob Markstrom made 30 saves for his second career shutout, leading the Canucks to the runaway road win.
Adam McQuaid got his first goal of the season with 8:05 to play, and Boston extended their road point-scoring streak to 13 games with a victory over New Jersey. Fellow defenseman Torey Krug scored twice and Tim Schaller also scored for the Bruins. Matthew Tkachuk scored twice in the third period, getting the tiebreaking goal with 1:05 left, to rally Calgary to a road victory over New York. Tyson Jost and Gabriel Bourque converted rebounds less than four minutes apart in the third period and Colorado avoided a late collapse for a win at Buffalo. Colin Wilson had a goal and assist, while Alexander Kerfoot and Matt Nieto also scored in a game the Avalanche never trailed.
Sean Couturier had a goal and two assists to help Philadelphia beat Vegas on the road. Logan Couture had a goal and an assist and then scored in the shootout to help San Jose beat Anaheim on the road. San Jose’s Timo Meier tied it with 53.7 seconds remaining.
Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel has a sprained right ankle and coach Phil Housley said it’s premature to rule out Buffalo’s leading scorer for the remainder of the season. Housley said Eichel will miss four to six weeks. Eichel leads Buffalo with 22 goals and 53 points in 55 games.