Four-goal first period propels Penguins past Oilers

Sydney Crosby moved up in the NHL record book, and Bryan Rust ignited a four-goal outburst in the first period as Pittsburgh defeated visiting Edmonton 5-3 on Thursday.

It was the Penguins' first win over the Oilers in more than five years.

Crosby collected a goal and two assists to pass Joe Sakic for ninth on the league's all-time points list with 1,643. Rust also scored a goal and earned two assists, all in the first period. Drew O'Connor added a goal and an assist, Rickard Rakell and Kevin Hayes also scored, and Marcus Pettersson added a pair of assists.

Leon Draisaitl, who entered Thursday with a league-leading 29 goals, scored a pair to become the NHL's first to 30 this season. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also scored, and Connor McDavid assisted on all three.

Alex Nedeljkovic made a season-high 39 saves for the Penguins, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Stuart Skinner stopped 21 shots for the Oilers, who saw their winning streak end at four.

The Penguins jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the game's first 10 minutes on goals by Rakell, Rust and Hayes. That outburst led to the Oilers pairing McDavid and Draisaitl, and they worked together with Zach Hyman to cut the lead to two with 7:27 left in the period.

O'Connor got the goal back, with help from Rust and Crosby, just 1:08 later, and Crosby scored on the power play in the second period to make it 5-2 with 14:18 left.

Draisaitl's second goal came five minutes later, and Nugent-Hopkins scored on the power play in the final minute of the second to again get Edmonton within two. McDavid drew the interference call on Rust to give the Oilers the man advantage.

Edmonton drew no closer as Nedeljkovic turned aside all 15 shots he faced in the third period.

Pittsburgh last defeated the Oilers in a 5-2 victory at Edmonton on Dec. 20, 2019.

Evgeni Malkin missed his second straight game for the Penguins due to an upper-body injury.

--Field Level Media