SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Sidney Crosby is on such a roll these days, he could probably score blind-folded.
Crosby scored twice, Matthew Murray stopped 32 shots for his second career shutout, and the Pittsburgh Penguins continued their dominance of the San Jose Sharks with a 5-0 victory Saturday night.
It was Crosby’s third multi-goal game in his last four and he has scored in all six games he’s played this season and 14 straight dating back to last sason.
“I’m feeling good and I got good bounces,” Crosby said. “When you’re going like this, you try to keep it going.”
Penguins coach Mike Sullivan was effusive in his praise for his star player.
“The word that keeps coming to mind is ‘inspiring.’ He’s an inspiring player,” Sullivan said. “He’s an elite player and he plays hard at both ends of the rink. His work ethic is second to none. He personifies the identity of how we want to play this game.”
Chris Kunitz, Eric Fehr and Nick Bonino also scored for the Penguins, who are 5-0-1 in their last six and have points in 10 of 12 games. Murray got his second win of the season.
The Penguins, who beat San Jose in six games in the Stanley Cup Final last June and won at home on Oct. 20, didn’t give the Sharks much of a chance, scoring less than 4 1/2 minutes in.
San Jose goalie Martin Jones allowed three goals on seven shots before being replaced by Aaron Dell 13 seconds into the second period.
“The third goal was deflating for sure and our response to that wasn’t what any of us wanted,” Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said. “That was the troubling part. It’s our response. It wasn’t good enough.”
Dell finished with 16 saves as San Jose lost its third straight.
The Sharks picked up their intensity in the third period, creating more scoring opportunities, though it was a little too late.
Crosby scored his first goal late in the first period, taking a shot from just behind the backline that hit the post and ricocheted off the back of Jones’ skate and into the net.
“Sid has been unbelievable,” Penguins’ Carl Hagelin said. “He’s playing hard, winning battles and getting the puck. He wants to compete every shift.”
Crosby also ended Jones’ night when he picked off a clearing pass by Marc-Edouard Vlasic and slapped it into the net during the first shift of the second period.
“He’s the best player in the world,” DeBoer said of Crosby. “Who else can score two goals without shooting a puck in the net? He’s definitely the engine that drives them.”
Kunitz went top shelf to open the scoring, easily getting it over a sprawled Brent Burns. Fehr and Bonino added goals in the second period, the latter short-handed.
NOTES: Sharks C Tommy Wingels was a scratch despite calling himself good to go after sitting out most of the third period against the Calgary Flames. … The Penguins’ Connor Sheary recorded points in his return to the lineup after missing the past seven games due to injury. … Pittsburgh F Carl Hagelin had his first multi-point game of the season.
UP NEXT
Penguins: Host Edmonton on Tuesday after going 3-0-1 on a four-game trip.
Sharks: At Washington on Tuesday night in the opener of a six-game trip.
