PITTSBURGH — Evgeni Malkin scored a hat trick to help the Pittsburgh Penguins rally past the Vancouver Canucks for a 5-4 victory Saturday.
It was the 10th hat trick of his career and first since Feb. 25, 2012. Malkin, who leads the team with 23 goals and 47 points, has 19 points in his last 15 games.
Sidney Crosby had a point in a season-best sixth straight game when he scored an empty net goal. It was his 16th of the season and proved to be the game winner. Bryan Rust scored his second of the season for the Penguins, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit for the second time in as many games.
Pittsburgh, which scored three third-period goals in 5:44, trailed by two goals in seven of its previous 11 games and came back to earn points in six of those seven instances.
The Penguins (23-17-7), currently riding a seven-game home point streak, won six of their last eight against the Canucks (20-18-11). They are 8-3-4 after losing their first four games under new coach Mike Sullivan, who was an assistant with the Canucks in 2013-14.
Vancouver’s Jannik Hansen also netted a hat trick, the second of his career, and now has 16 goals. Bo Horvat scored his ninth for the Canucks, who had a chance to finish their six-game road trip with four wins and nine of 12 possible points.
Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 27 shots for his sixth straight decision against the Canucks. Ryan Miller made 25 saves for Vancouver.
Canadiens 3, Maple Leafs 2 (SO): Montreal’s Lars Eller scored the decisive goal in the shootout as the Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2.
Eller was the fifth Montreal shooter after each team had scored a goal in the first four rounds.
David Desharnais and Tomas Fleischmann scored for the Canadiens in regulation time.
Bruins 3, Blue Jackets 2, (SO): Boston blew a two-goal lead in the second period but managed to pull out a 3-2 shootout win over the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Ryan Spooner and Torey Krug scored and goaltender Jonas Gustavsson stopped both shots in the shootout as the Bruins won for the fourth time in their last five.
Sharks 4, Wild 3: Joe Pavelski scored the tiebreaking goal at 18:36 of the third period as the San Jose Sharks beat the Minnesota Wild 4-3 at SAP Center.
Pavelski’s 23rd goal of the season, his NHL-leading eighth game-winner, came on a wrist shot from above the left circle after Joe Thornton won an offensive-zone draw.
Devils 3, Jets 1: Former Winnipeg winger Lee Stempniak came back to haunt his former team by scoring a pair of goals in a 3-1 victory for the New Jersey Devils.
Stempniak played a crucial role in the Jets’ playoff drive last year, but was not offered a contract by the team in the off-season.
Ducks 4, Red Wings 3: Corey Perry and Ryan Kelser each scored twice as the Anaheim Ducks held on for a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena.
Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg each had two assists and goalie John Gibson made 24 saves for Anaheim.
Other results: Panthers 5, Lightning 2; Avalanche 3, Stars 1; Coyotes 3, Kings 2; Predators 4, Oilers 1. — Agencies
