Pittsburgh Penguins’ Sidney Crosby (87) gets a rebound under Washington Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren for a goal during the first period Thursday in Pittsburgh. AP photo

PITTSBURGH — Sidney Crosby scored twice and Bryan Rust delivered the go-ahead goal midway through the third period as the Pittsburgh Penguins edged Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals 5-3 on Thursday night.

The 39-year-old Crosby’s two first-period power-play goals boosted his season total to an NHL-best 11. Rust’s fifth of the season helped the Penguins avoid a second straight collapse. Anthony Mantha picked up his seventh of the year for Pittsburgh. Connor Dewar added an empty-net goal in the final minutes.

Rookie Ben Kindel collected the first two assists of his young career for the Penguins. Arturs Silovs made 28 saves as Pittsburgh stopped a two-game skid.

Ovechkin fueled a second-period rally by collecting a pair of assists the night after becoming the first player to reach the 900-goal plateau.

Ryan Strome, Tom Wilson and Rasmus Sandin scored for the Capitals, but the 99th all-time meeting between longtime rivals Crosby and Ovechkin ended with the surprising Penguins maintaining their composure after blowing a three-goal lead.

Pittsburgh has been an early-season surprise under first-year coach Dan Muse, though the Penguins’ hot start hit a bump on Monday when two dominant periods in Toronto morphed into a third-period meltdown in which the Maple Leafs ripped off four straight goals to pull off a stunner.

Not this time. Pittsburgh’s second-ranked power play scored three times, including a pair by Crosby in the first.

Pittsburgh appeared to be in firm control when Mantha pushed Pittsburgh’s lead to 3-0 just over 2 minutes into the second.

Washington responded by scoring three times, the last a nifty shot from his knees by Tom Wilson that tied the game 5 seconds before the horn sounded to end the period.

The Penguins steadied themselves, and Rust put them ahead to stay with a pretty redirect off a cross-ice feed from Evgeni Malkin.

UP NEXT

Capitals: Travel to Tampa Bay on Saturday.

Penguins: Visit New Jersey on Saturday.