Penguins 6, Maple Leafs 5 (SO)

PITTSBURGH -- It took a center Sidney Crosby shootout goal and erasing a three-goal deficit, but the Pittsburgh Penguins stuffed the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 on Thanksgiving Eve.

Pittsburgh center Evgeni Malkin tallied twice and the Penguins recorded three power-play goals in a game that harkened back to a 1980's wide-open style.

The Penguins got the scoring started when two recent call-ups, center Andrew Ebbett and right winger Chris Conner, connected just 1:57 into the contest. Ebbett threw a pass through the legs of Toronto defenseman Cody Franson and right onto the tape of a wide-open Conner at the top of the

crease and he placed his shot just under the crossbar for his first of the season. Ebbett picked up the primary assist for his first point as a Penguin.

At 5:09 of the first, and just eight seconds into their first power-play opportunity, Toronto defenseman Dion Phaneuf blasted a shot from the left point that was masterfully deflected down and through the five hole of Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury by left wing James van Riemsdyk,

who was left unattended in front to tie the game at 1.

With just over eight minutes left in the first stanza, the Maple Leafs grabbed their first lead of the game when center Nazem Kadri broke down the right wing and beat Fleury through his blocker, off the right post and in. Fleury either didn't see the shot or was confident that the shot was going to go wide because he never went down in an attempt to stop the shot.

Toronto continued the scoring just 13 seconds into the second period when van Riemsdyk picked off Fleury's attempted backhand pass to defenseman Kris Letang and deposited it into the unoccupied net. That was enough for Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma, as he pulled Fleury in favor of Jeff Zatkoff. However, the result was the same. Just 29 seconds later, center Phil Kessel beat Zatkoff on the first shot he faced -- a hard wrister just underneath the crossbar.

The Penguins began to claw back into the game with a power-play marker of their own when center Evgeni Malkin one-timed a Letang pass over the shoulder of Toronto goaltender Jonathan Bernier at 8:27 of the second.

The Penguins' third goal came at 15:20 of the second when they struck again with the man advantage. This time it was Letang firing a slap shot from the left point that snuck just inside the left post to pull the Penguins within one, 4-3.

Just when it appeared that the Penguins had all of the momentum, they allowed yet another late-period goal in what has been an Achilles' heel for them this season. With just five seconds left in the second, van Riemsdyk threw a rather ordinary shot on goal that slid off Zatkoff's left pad and toward the post, where the puck briefly sat before center Tyler Bozak rushed in and poked it over the goal line to give the Maple Leafs another two-goal cushion, 5-3 heading into the second intermission.

The Penguins took flight in the third period, outshooting the Maple Leafs 17-0 and tallying twice to complete their improbable comeback. The first tally came at 3:46 of the period when Neal blasted a shot from the right-wing circle over the left shoulder of Reimer while working on a five-on-three. The fifth and tying goal came via a hard drive to the net by Crosby, taking the defense with him. This allowed Malkin to swoop in and whack away at the loose puck in the crease until it found its way under Reimer to knot the game at 5, 7:41 into the third.

NOTES: The Buffalo Sabres claimed former Penguins RW Matt D'Agostini off waivers Wednesday. ... Toronto RW Colton Orr played in his 200th game in a Maple Leafs uniform. ... Pittsburgh C Evgeni Malkin was named the NHL's First Star for the week ending Nov. 24. During the week, he recorded one goal and seven assists in Pittsburgh's four contests. ... Going into Wednesday's play, Toronto ranked 28th in the NHL in shots against per game, allowing an average of more than 35 per game. ... Scratches for the Penguins were C Zach Sill and D Robert Bortuzzo. Scratches for the Maple Leafs were RW Joffrey Lupul (groin), LW Frazer McLaren, and D Jake Gardiner. ... The official attendance was 18,660, Pittsburgh's 300th consecutive sellout. The sellout streak began on Feb. 14, 2007.