Crosby Scores 2 As Pens Pound Stars 4-1

Tyler Kennedy and Evgeni Malkin also scored, and Colby Armstrong had two assists. The Penguins have scored 14 goals in their past three games and have at least a point in five of their past six after a 1-6 stretch.

Mike Ribeiro scored for Dallas. The Stars have lost two in row after winning six straight.

Crosby, who has a point in each of all but two games this season, scored 24 seconds into the contest when he gathered the puck along the right-wing boards and beat goalie Mike Smith between the legs.

Kennedy scored 3 minutes later on a similar play. He picked up the puck along the left-wing boards and beat Smith with a wrist shot to the stick side.

Ribeiro blasted a slap shot from above the right faceoff circle past Fleury for his 10th of the season 5:42 into the second. Ribeiro used former Stars defenseman Darryl Sydor as a screen on the shot.

Crosby's second goal of the game _ and 14th of the season _ came midway through the second when he picked up a rebound of Sydor's shot just to the left of Smith and roofed a wrist shot underneath the crossbar to make it 3-1.

Malkin scored his 10th with 5:32 to play, tapping in a nice cross-ice pass from Petr Sykora.

Notes:@ The Penguins hadn't played since Saturday, their longest layoff of the season. ... Pittsburgh didn't have a power-play opportunity until Steve Ott's holding-the-stick penalty with 3:22 left in the game. ... Pittsburgh defenseman Sergei Gonchar missed the game because of a groin injury. He had played in 105 consecutive games for Pittsburgh.

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