The Penguins got the best of the Oilers through sheer hard work and smart defensive strategy — and a little star power from both teams.

PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists, passing Joe Sakic for ninth all-time in points in a 5-3 win for the Pittsburgh Penguins against the Edmonton Oilers at PPG Paints Arena on Thursday. Crosby reached 1,643 points (604 goals, 1,039 assists), ahead of Sakic (1,641) and behind Mario Lemieux (1,723) in eighth.

Pittsburgh snaps a seven-game losing streak against the Oilers - and snaps their general four-game losing streak - in an effort led by their captain

Sidney Crosby scores a pair of first-period assists for Penguins in clash with Oilers, climbs the ladder to 9th place on NHL scoring list

Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists to move into ninth on the NHL’s career scoring list as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 on Thursday night. “We weren’t ready,

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby moved onto ninth place on the NHL’s all-time scoring list after Thursday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers.

The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Edmonton Oilers 5-3 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh on Thursday. The Penguins' Sidney Crosby had one goal and two assists, placing him in ninth place on the NHL's scoring list.

The Pittsburgh Penguins had lost seven consecutive games to Edmonton before Thursday evening. They had been outscored in those games, 37-9, and might have been outplayed even more than those numbers suggest.