PITTSBURGH (AP) - Conor Sheary is in the midst of a career-best stretch - and he enjoyed another big game against his hometown team.
The Pittsburgh forward scored two goals, Sidney Crosby added his league-leading 28th and the Penguins won their fourth straight game, 5-1 over the Boston Bruins 5-1 on Sunday.
“It’s fun to play against your hometown team,” said Sheary, a native of Winchester, Massachusetts. “There’s a lot of people watching and you kind of get up easy for these games. It’s fun to be a part of.”
Sheary scored his 17th and has nine goals in nine games. The 5-foot-8 forward, who signed with Pittsburgh as an undrafted free agent in July 2015, equaled a career-best four-game point streak against his hometown Bruins on Sunday.
“I felt strongly that Conor could be a good player in this league,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “I’m not going to suggest that I thought he’d have 17 goals halfway through the season, but I knew he could be a solid player at the NHL level.”
Pittsburgh led 2-1 through two periods before breaking out in the third with three goals in the span of 2 minutes, 57 seconds.
Bryan Rust added his 12th and Patric Hornqvist his 11th for the Penguins, who won a season-high seventh straight at home. Pittsburgh the NHL’s best home team, is 13-0-1 in its last 14 home games.
Evgeni Malkin had two assists for a season-best seven-game point streak. Crosby added two assists for a three-point game. Matt Murray made 44 saves to win his fourth straight game. Murray stopped 90 of 93 shots in his past three starts.
David Krejci scored his 11th for the Bruins, who have lost four straight and five of their last six. The Bruins were unbeaten in their previous nine at Pittsburgh with wins in their last seven before Sunday’s loss.
Tuukka Rask stopped 20 of 22 shots for Boston before he left the game because he said he had a migraine that started in the second period. Rask was replaced by Zane McIntyre with 8:12 to play in the second period. McIntyre stopped 11 shots.
“We got away from being on our toes for a few shifts and you can’t do that against them because they’re going to make you pay,” Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron said. “We had the start we wanted, but not the result.”
Hornqvist gave Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead 1:40 into the third period. Sheary scored 1:19 later from the side of the net and Crosby made it a 5-1 game with a power-play goal from the top of the crease soon after.
Pittsburgh has outscored the opposition 24-10 in the last four games, an average of six goals per game. The line of Crosby, Sheary and Rust has 20 goals and 48 points in 15 games played, including nine against the Bruins.
“I think we bring a lot of speed to the table,” Sheary said. “When we get pucks behind the defense and come at them with speed, I think it’s tough for them to defend.”
The game was scoreless - and Pittsburgh had an 11-3 advantage in shots - when an issue with the ice forced the teams to halt play with 6:26 remaining in the first period.
Maintenance crews initially came out during a stoppage for repairs on the ice along the boards near the Penguins’ bench. The crew completed work and left the ice, only to return to do additional repairs. Players then left the ice and returned to their respective dressing rooms as the first intermission started early.
The teams finished the final 6:26 followed by a 60-second intermission before resuming the second period.
Boston carried the play after the break, outshooting Pittsburgh by a 9-1 margin. But the Penguins scored the game’s first goal 18 seconds into the second period when Crosby set up Rust with a one-timer during a two-on-one.
Sheary added to Pittsburgh’s lead later in the period, but Krejci made it a 2-1 game with a slap shot off the rush that beat Murray to the blocker side.
Murray stopped David Backes on a breakaway about a minute later. He denied several quality chances during a Bruins power play late in the second period, allowing the Penguins to break it open early in the third period.
“We came out pretty hot right at the start of the third and got those quick goals and that kind of put things away,” Murray said.
NOTES: Before the game, Sullivan said D Brian Dumoulin may play before the All-Star break. He has missed 10 games with a broken jaw. … Crosby is eight points from 1,000 in his career. … Crosby surpassed Jaromir Jagr and Kevin Stevens for third on the team’s all-time power play goals list with 111. … Murray is 13-0-2 in his past 15 home starts. … Boston scratched F Jimmy Hayes and D Kevan Miller, while Pittsburgh sat F Tom Kuhnhackl and D Steve Oleksy.
UP NEXT
Bruins: Open a two-game homestand against Detroit on Tuesday.
Penguins: Welcome St. Louis on Tuesday
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