Joe Yerdon – NHL.com Correspondent
BUFFALO – Kris Letang had three assists and helped the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-3 win against the Buffalo Sabres at First Niagara Center on Sunday.
Letang set up second period goals from Scott Wilson and Phil Kessel and a shorthanded breakaway goal by Matt Cullen in the third period.
Wilson made it 2-1 and extended his goal scoring streak to three games. He received a cross-crease pass from Letang and took a snap shot that beat Sabres goalie Robin Lehner up high for his third goal of the season 5:28 into the period.
Kessel made it 3-1 with his 19th goal of the season with 2:10 left in the second when he received a cross-ice pass from Letang near the side of the Sabres net and put a wrist shot past Lehner.
Cullen made it 4-1 with a shorthanded breakaway goal, his eighth of the season, 7:52 into the third period after he received a pass from Letang. Sabres forward Brian Gionta scored 13 seconds later on the power play when he tipped a Zach Bogosian shot past Fleury for his eighth of the season to make it 4-2.
Bogosian scored two goals including his third of the season with 21.4 seconds left in the third to conclude the scoring.
The Penguins (30-20-8) have won eight straight games against Buffalo.
The Sabres (24-29-7) have lost two of their past three games.
Patric Hornqvist gave the Penguins a 1-0 lead 9:09 into the first period. Hornqvist tipped a shot from near the blue line by defenseman Trevor Daley past Lehner for his 12th goal of the season.
Sidney Crosby got an assist on Hornqvist’s goal. He has 48 points in 30 career games against the Sabres.
Bogosian made it 1-1 with 6:12 remaining in the first period with a power-play goal. With Hornqvist off for slashing, Bogosian took a slap shot that beat Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury low to the right side for his second goal of the season.
Fleury made 24 saves; Lehner made 27 saves.
Sabres center Ryan O’Reilly missed the game with a lower-body injury and was replaced by Justin Bailey in the lineup. Bailey was recalled from Rochester of the American Hockey League on Sunday.
