Goals:

Penguins:

Sidney Crosby (0:48)

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sidney Crosby set up three goals and Matt Murray made 38 saves as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 Saturday night.

Jake Guentzel scored twice and Kris Letang added a goal for the Penguins, who won for the fifth time in six games. It was Murray’s second shutout in 14 starts this season.

The Hurricanes lost for the fifth time in six games.

Crosby set up behind the Carolina net and fed Letang for Pittsburgh’s first goal at 8:41 in the first period.

The second goal, just 3 minutes into the second period, was nearly identical. This time Crosby found Guentzel in front of Carolina goalie Curtis McElhinney for the score.

Crosby set up Guentzel for his second goal with 50.3 seconds left in the second period. Guentzel was alone in front of McElhinney and netted his 15th goal of the season.

Crosby has nine points (one goal, eight assists) in the last five games.

The Penguins have put together an 11-4-2 record since Nov. 21. They had lost nine of 10 before that stretch and were in last place in the Eastern Conference. Now with 42 points, the Penguins are in eighth place in the conference. The Hurricanes, with 33 points, are two points out of last place in the conference.

Carolina winger Warren Foegele had two breakaway chances in the first period, but Murray stopped both.

The only goal that initially appeared to get by Murray came with 2 minutes left in the first. Dougie Hamilton’s slap shot from the right point sailed past Murray’s right shoulder and hit the inside of the crossbar. It was ruled a goal and then overturned.

The Hurricanes fell to 2-6-1 in December and have one win in five home games this month. The players had a long meeting after the 4-1 home loss to Detroit on Thursday night. They talked about resiliency and mental toughness.

Carolina was shutout for the third time this season and first time at home.

NOTES: For the first time since moving to North Carolina in 1997, the Hurricanes will wear the old Hartford Whalers uniforms on Sunday in their home game with the Boston Bruins. Carolina owner Tom Dundon, who bought the team last January, has embraced the marketing opportunities with the popular green-and-blue Whalers logo. … The attendance of 16,264 featured plenty of Penguins fans in black and gold. … Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan improved to 10-3-1 against the Hurricanes during his four-year tenure with the Penguins.

UP NEXT

Penguins: Get a four-day break before hosting Detroit on Dec. 27.

Hurricanes: Host Boston on Sunday.

Goals:

Penguins:

Jake Guentzel (3:00) (19:09)

Goals:

Penguins:

Kris Letang (8:41)

End of 1st Period

Penguins -1

Wild -1

Scoring

Penguins – Rust

Wild – Greenway

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust scored and the Pittsburgh Penguins ended hot streaks by Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals with a 2-1 victory Wednesday night.

The third meeting this season between these longtime rivals featured tight checking, strong goaltending and more than a few punches. Rust broke a 1-1 tie late in the second period with his sixth goal in five games, and the Penguins held on against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

Playing in his second game since returning from a lower body injury, Pittsburgh goalie Matt Murray stopped 31 shots.

Lars Eller scored the lone goal for the Capitals. They had won five in a row.

Ovechkin was held without a goal for the first time in seven games and had his career-high run of games with a point end at 14.

In addition, Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov had his streak of eight straight games with an assist come to an end, one shy of the franchise record.

Eller put the Capitals up 1-0 at 6:38 of the second period, pushing the puck past Murray after taking a lead pass from Tom Wilson.

Crosby tied it less than three minutes later, deflecting a pass from Evgeni Malkin into the right side of the net with Pittsburgh on the power play.

Rust made it 2-1 with just over a minute left in the period, hacking away at the puck in front of the net before it finally popped past goalie Braden Holtby.

In the third period, Holtby snagged a shot by Malkin on a breakaway to keep Washington within striking distance.

Twice over the final 20 minutes, Kuznetsov took shots that slipped through Murray’s legs, only to be swatted away by Pittsburgh defensemen an inch before sliding past the goal line.

These teams just don’t care for each other, and it shows whether they’re meeting in December or the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Less than a minute into the game, Wilson and Pittsburgh defenseman Jamie Oleksiak shed their gloves and got into a fight. Oleksiak was helped off the ice with a cut on his cheek, and both players received five-minute penalties. Oleksiak did not return.

Four minutes later, Ovechkin and Kris Letang traded blows behind the Pittsburgh net before being sent to the penalty box for roughing.

The scoreless first period featured more penalty minutes (18) than shots on goal (17).

NOTES: The Capitals’ run of 14 straight games with at least three goals ended. … Crosby took over the team lead in points with 38. Crosby, Phil Kessell and Malkin all entered with 36. … All three games between the teams have been decided by one goal. Pittsburgh has won two of them. … It was the Capitals’ third loss in 15 games since Nov. 14.

UP NEXT

Penguins: Host Minnesota on Thursday night.

Capitals: Host Buffalo on Friday night, a rematch of Saturday’s game won by Washington in overtime.