Josh Anderson had two goals and an assist and the host Montreal Canadiens held on for a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.
Chris Kreider contributed a goal and an assist while Oliver Kapanen and Alexandre Texier also scored for the Canadiens, who have won five in a row. Defenseman Lane Hutson contributed two assists and Jacob Fowler stopped 25 shots.
Sidney Crosby and defenseman Erik Karlsson had a goal and two assists each and Tommy Novak and Rickard Rakell each added a goal and an assist for the Penguins, who lost their second straight (0-1-1). Sergei Murashov made 22 saves.
Crosby recorded his 1,112th career assist to move past Ray Bourque (Boston, 1979-2000) for the most assists by a player with one franchise. Crosby, who has played for Pittsburgh since the 2005-06 season, added another assist later in the first period to reach 1,113 for his career.
Crosby pulled Pittsburgh to within a goal off a goalmouth scramble with 3:11 left and Murashov pulled for the extra attacker.
Texier and Kreider scored 27 seconds apart early in the second period to break a 2-2 tie. Texier connected as he crossed the goal mouth at 1:54 and Kreider put in his second rebound after a tip attempt 2:21 into the middle period.
Rakell made it a one-goal game 1:24 later, but Anderson restored the Canadiens’ two-goal margin with 6:54 left in the second period when Hutson’s shot from the point hit Anderson and went in off the skate of Penguins defenseman Kris Letang.
It was a 2-2 tie less than eight minutes into the game.
Karlsson’s power-play goal 2:08 into the contest gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead. But it lasted only little over half a minute as Montreal jumped ahead with two goals in 24 seconds. Kapanen got his first goal at 2:41 and Anderson connected to make it 2-1, 3:05 in as the Canadiens scored on their first two shots. Novak tied the game at 7:28.
An apparent goal a little under two minutes later by Montreal’s Cole Caufield was overturned after a challenge by Penguins coach Dan Muse because of goaltender interference.