PITTSBURGH _ Sidney Crosby had two beautiful assists, Matt Murray settled down after a shaky start, and the Penguins rallied from three goals down to secure a satisfying 4-3 win against the Boston Bruins Sunday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena.
The Penguins took the lead with 7:25 left in the third period. Malkin barreled into Bruins blue-liner Charlie McAvoy behind the Boston net, knocking the puck loose. He quickly spun and found Bryan Rust in front. Jaroslav Halak, fooled by Malkin's pass, was looking the other way when Rust scored the go-ahead goal.
It was a nightmare start as Murray gave up two goals on his first three shots.
The Bruins scored 11 seconds into the game after a bouncing puck made it across to Patric Bergeron, who beat a sliding Murray five-hole. They scored again less than two minutes later when Murray retreated too far into his net on a fairly innocent 3-on-2 and flailed his glove after Anders Bjork picked a corner.
The other one barely stayed out after Murray coughed up the puck behind his net and had to do a superman dive to deny Joakim Nordstrom with his paddle.
The next save Murray made, sticking a long-range shot into the corner, frustrated Penguins fans serenaded the two-time Cup-winner with a loud mock cheer.
Murray, who made 28 saves in Friday's 2-1 overtime win in Detroit, was given a second consecutive start for the first time since Nov. 21. In his previous four starts, all wins, he allowed 10 total goals while posting a .926 save percentage.
Later in the period, Penguins defenseman Jack Johnson accidently deflected David Pastrnak's centering pass between Murray's legs, putting the Bruins up, 3-0.
Just when it looked like the Penguins would get steamrolled by the Bruins, the top team in the Atlantic Division, Crosby sparked a Penguins comeback.
Late in the first, Crosby made a jaw-dropping pass from behind the Bruins net to set up Dominik Simon for the winger's second goal in the past four games.
Crosby made an even crazier one in the first minute of the second period to get the Penguins back within a goal. After Teddy Blueger left the penalty box, Crosby chased down a puck that had caromed off the end boards and with his back to the play made a between-the-legs pass to Blueger, who beat Jaroslav Halak.
Crosby has at least one point in all four games since returning to the lineup.
The Penguins during that second period settled down and got back to playing their up-tempo brand of hockey instead of trying to match the physicality of the chippy Bruins, who dominated them up in Boston three days earlier.
Instead of throwing fists or swinging sticks out of frustration, they fought through checks and started creating chances. They controlled play for most of the second. The Bruins made a push late in the period but Murray kept them out.
And in the third, with Kris Letang in the penalty box, Johnson redeemed himself at the end of a 3-on-2 rush by ripping a slapshot past Halak to tie the score It was the Penguins' first short-handed goal since their Dec. 6 win against Arizona.
Murray came up big before and after Rust's winning goal, leading to loud "Murray! Murray! Murray!" chants two hours after he got Bronx cheers.
The Penguins lost their two previous games against the Bruins, including a 4-1 loss Thursday in Boston. They got outscored, 10-5, in those two road games.
Both Simon and Dominik Kahun left the game with injuries and did not return.
The Penguins visit Philadelphia Tuesday, their final game before the All-Star break. They blasted the Flyers, 7-1, in their only other meeting this season.
