Sidney Crosby weaved through two defensemen to score during Pittsburgh's four-goal first period, then helped hold off a frantic Washington Capitals rally with a no-look, spin-move pass to set up Ziggy Palffy's second goal of the game in the Penguins' 5-4 victory on Tuesday night.
Ovechkin was limited to an assist on Matt Pettinger's goal in the third period, but repeatedly flashed the skills that have allowed him to score 15 goals in 21 games.
Not long after Palffy and Ric Jackman scored less than three minutes apart to make it 2-0 midway through the first, Crosby scored his 11th goal in 22 games.
Pettinger and Brian Willsie scored in the third to cut Pittsburgh's lead to a goal, but the Penguins held on despite being outshot 45-28 -- 35-16 in the final two periods.
Crosby leads NHL rookies with 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 22 games.
Rangers 3, Sabres 2, SO
At Buffalo, New York, Jaromir Jagr scored the decisive goal in a shootout, pushing New York past Buffalo.
Jagr also scored his team-leading 20th goal and added an assist in regulation. Michael Nylander had a goal and assist, as well, for the Rangers, who overcame two one-goal deficits and won their third straight game.
Chris Drury and Jay McKee scored for Buffalo, which had a three-game winning streak snapped.
Jagr decided the shootout -- the third straight the Rangers have won -- after both teams scored on their first two chances.
Kevin Weekes, who stopped 37 shots, preserved the win when he stopped Chris Drury on Buffalo's third shootout opportunity.
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff inserted goalie Martin Biron after injured starter Mika Noronen allowed Martin Straka to score on the Rangers' first shootout attempt. Noronen made 25 saves in regulation.
Canadiens 3, Thrashers 2, SO
At Montreal, Pierre Dagenais scored the winning goal and Jose Theodore stopped Atlanta forwards Ilya Kovalchuk, Peter Bondra and Marian Hossa in the first shootout in Montreal.
Dagenais' shot beat Steve Shields between the legs on Montreal's second shootout opportunity after Michael Ryder missed high with the Canadiens' first shot.
Theodore, who stopped Kovalchuk on a breakaway in overtime, made a glove save on Hossa on Atlanta's third attempt.
Kovalchuk scored his 15th goal in the second period on a clear breakaway for Atlanta. Peter Bondra also scored for the Thrashers, who tied the game twice in the second.
Ryder scored his team-leading 10th goal to open the scoring early in the second on the first of the Canadiens' two power-play goals. Ryder also assisted on Andrei Markov's goal later in the period.
Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jiri Fischer was "doing very, very well" on Tuesday, a day after he collapsed on the bench during a NHL game and a defibrillator was used to help revive him.
"The great news is that Jiri Fischer is doing very, very well," Red Wings general manager Ken Holland said at a news conference at Joe Louis Arena.
Holland and team physician Tony Colucci said the 25-year-old Czech player was "in good spirits."
Fischer began having convulsions on the bench late in the first period of a game against the Nashville Predators. Colucci wasn't able to detect a pulse after Fischer collapsed, and an auto defibrillator was used on Fischer.
After performing CPR, Colucci said he detected a good pulse and Fischer was taken out of the arena by ambulance to Detroit Receiving Hospital. Colucci said Fischer's heart might have stopped, but he didn't know for how long.
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