Pens recover from blown lead, down Chicago, 5-3

In Chicago, the Pittsburgh Penguins didn’t blow a 2-0 lead on Sunday, they coughed up a 3-0 lead to the Blackhawks and needed a goal from Sidney Crosby in the 17th minute of the third period to retake the lead, 4-3.“Obviously, the numbers speak for itself,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “He was tremendous. He just has the ability to elevate his game at key times. A lot of times he’s the difference. You saw what he did late in the game. That’s what he’s capable of.”

Jeff Carter added an empty-net goal with under a minute left in regulation to seal, 5-3.

Casey DeSmith made 29 saves for the Pens in the win.

Pittsburgh improved to 8-7-3.

The Pens took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a goal from Brock McGinn.

In the middle frame, Pittsburgh added two more with strikes from Evgeni Malkin and Richard Rakell for the three-goal bulge.

It was Malkin’s 1,000th NHL game.

“Great memories for me and my family,” Malkin said. “Emotional night. I hope I stay here all my life. Amazing team. Amazing organization. I hope this will be a special year for me. You don’t play a game like this, maybe one or two in your life. Lots of emotion, lots of thinking. I was only thinking the whole game we needed to win.”

Chicago started their rally on a goal from Jujhar Khaira near the midway point of the second period to get within 3-1.

Chicago dropped to 8-9-3.

“It’s frustrating,” Chicago coach Luke Richardson said. “I know the guys must be really frustrated. They put a lot of work in. It was a much better game. I know we got down 3-0, but we were really happy with the way the guys were playing harder through their checks and their sticks and creating a lot more O-zone time for us, and unfortunately, we played from behind. That’s really difficult, but give them credit.

“I don’t think in the NHL you reward any kind of loss. … There are positives, for sure, compared to last night. Last night was one of the first nights we didn’t seem to have the energy to put up that fight all game, even though it may have looked aesthetically a little better in the third.”