— Lars Eller was in the lineup Thursday after missing Wednesday’s practice due to illness. The only change was Radim Zohorna stepping in for Jesse Puljujarvi on the fourth line. It was the towering forward’s first NHL game since Jan. 15.

— John Ludvig and Vinnie Hinostroza were Pittsburgh’s scratches. The Penguins called Hinostroza back up from the American Hockey League before the game.

— Michael Bunting now has 14 points in 18 games with Pittsburgh. He earned a primary assist when he made a nice, subtle pass to spring Letang for his goal.

— The Penguins placed defenseman Ryan Graves on long-term injured reserve, which will keep him out through the end of the regular season. Graves, who has sat out seven games with a concussion, skated on an individual basis Thursday.

— Penguins players selected Crosby as their team MVP for the fourth season in a row. He also won the Players’ Player Award for the sixth time in his career.

STAT N’AT

1,591 — With his assist in overtime, Crosby moved out of a tie with Phil Esposito into 10th all time on the NHL’s scoring list. The captain his 1,591 career points.

COMING UP

The Penguins are scheduled to practice Friday ahead of their next game, a Saturday showdown against the Boston Bruins at PPG Paints Arena.

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