Sidney Crosby's hat trick powers Penguins past Senators

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby scored three goals in a row for his first natural hat trick in more than five years, and the Pittsburgh Penguins opened the second half of the season with a 6-5 win against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday night.

The two-time NHL MVP pushed his goal total to 20 and has scored at least one in Pittsburgh's last eight home games. The Penguins have won four in a row and have lost in regulation just once since Jan. 6.

Chris Kunitz had a goal and two assists. Kris Letang added a goal and an assist, and Matt Cullen also scored for Pittsburgh. The Penguins' six goals were a season high. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury settled down after a shaky start and finished with 18 saves.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Mark Stone, Cody Ceci, Chris Wideman and Dave Dziurzynski scored for the Senators. Craig Anderson made 38 stops.

The Penguins began the second half stressing the need to play with the intensity that carried them through a resurgent January, when they went 6-2-3 to move back into playoff position. They were fueled by a streaking Crosby, who has taken new coach Mike Sullivan's advice to get to the front of the net.

Crosby tied for the NHL lead with eight goals in January and wasted little time getting back to work after an All-Star snub, one he likely deserved after a sluggish opening three months of the season. His three scores against the Senators came from close range, including a pair from right on the doorstep.

The hat trick was the ninth of Crosby's career and first since Oct. 12, 2013, against Tampa Bay. It was his first natural hat trick since doing it against the Atlanta Thrashers on Dec. 2, 2010.

Pittsburgh dominated the Senators for long stretches, taking a 2-0 lead on goals by Cullen and Letang before Ottawa recorded its first shot, but a shaky performance by the typically solid Fleury allowed the Senators to get back in it.

Ottawa ripped off three consecutive goals to jump in front 4-3, including a pair in a 24-second span of the second period with both teams playing 4-on-4. Pageau tipped in Erik Karlsson's rebound. Shortly thereafter, Fleury was unable to freeze a rebound from Zack Smith, and Ceci darted in to poke the puck between Fleury's pads to put the Senators up 3:25 into the second.

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The 403rd consecutive sellout at Consol Energy Center let out a sarcastic roar when Fleury managed to stop Ottawa's next rush, Fleury's two shutouts last month apparently a distant memory.

Fleury finally settled down, giving Crosby and Pittsburgh's scorching power play a chance to go to work. Crosby tied it at 4 with a wrist shot from the left circle 6:10 into the second and gave the Penguins the lead for good just more than 10 minutes later when he parked himself right in front and had little trouble pushing a perfect centering pass from Evgeni Malkin by Anderson.

Crosby increased Pittsburgh's advantage to 6-4 early in the third period, converting what looked like a potential turnover by Kunitz into a goal when he sprinted to the crease and redirected the puck into the net.

The Penguins needed the cushion. Dziurzynski's first goal with 4:10 to go brought Ottawa within one, and twice the Senators clanged shots off the crossbar.

NOTES: Penguins forward Eric Fehr left late in the second period with a lower-body injury and did not return. ... Pittsburgh assistant coach Jacques Martin was not on the bench after feeling ill shortly before the game. ... Ottawa begins a three-game homestand on Thursday against Edmonton. The Penguins play at Florida on Friday. ... Pittsburgh went 2-for-5 on the power play. The Senators were 0-for-1.