Penguins Beat Bruins, 6-4

Sergei Gonchar and Chris Kunitz scored 18 seconds apart early in the third period, Petr Sykora got the game-winner later in the period and the Pittsburgh Penguins gained a valuable victory in the Eastern Conference race, beating Boston 6-4 on Sunday.

The Penguins rallied from deficits of 3-2 and 2-1 to beat the conference-leading Bruins for only the second time in six games and moved ahead of idle Montreal into fifth place in the crowded standings. The Penguins picked up at least one point for the 10th consecutive game, going 8-0-2 during a run that began with a seven-game winning streak.

Kunitz was originally credited with a power-play goal 43 seconds into the third that tied it at 3, but Gonchar was given the goal during a postgame review. Kunitz, who lost what would have been his second career hat trick because of the scoring change, said he never touched the puck.

He certainly did seconds later. Kunitz got loose on a short breakaway off Bill Guerin's pass and beat Tim Thomas by shifting from his forehand to his backhand before slipping the puck between the goalie's pads. Kunitz's 21st goal was his fifth in nine games since being dealt by Anaheim at the trading deadline, although he didn't have a goal in his previous five games.

Michael Ryder tied it less than two minutes later with his 24th for Boston, which was trying to become the first NHL team to reach the 100-point mark this season. The Bruins had won two in a row after dropping five of six.

Sykora put Pittsburgh back into the lead again with his 24th midway through the period, only 13 seconds after Boston killed off a power play that included 17 seconds with a two-man advantage.

Jordan Staal shed a defender with a spin move in the corner and threw the puck to Sykora for a quick wrist shot from the left circle. Sykora was playing his second game after missing three games with an injured shoulder. Staal added an empty-net goal in the final minute.

Phil Kessel scored his 31st goal and fourth in three games for Boston, and former Penguins player Mark Recchi and Blake Wheeler also scored for the Bruins. Wheeler's short-handed goal in the second briefly put them up 3-2.

However, Wheeler's holding penalty 28 seconds into the third created the power play that led to the first of two Kunitz's goals in the opening 1:01 of the period.

Before that, Guerin scored 50 seconds into the game, his second goal since being dealt to Pittsburgh. Recchi answered 16 seconds later by beating Mathieu Garon with a one-timer from just inside the blue line as the Bruins scored on their first shot for the second day in a row. They scored on their first two shots during a 2-1 victory over the Islanders on Saturday.

Garon made 21 saves in only his second start since being traded to Pittsburgh on Jan. 17. Marc-Andre Fleury started the previous 19 games.

Sidney Crosby had three assists to reach the 90-point mark and has at least one point in 10 consecutive games. He has four goals and 17 assists in 13 games against Boston.