By IRA PODELL
NEW YORK — Mike Rupp shook off a leg injury in the third period, snapped a tie with his second goal of the night, and then completed his first NHL hat trick to help the Pittsburgh Penguins break a long losing streak at Madison Square Garden and sweep a home-and-home series from the New York Rangers with a 5-2 victory on Monday night.
Rupp’s first goal gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead in the second period and his second made it 3-2 with 8:46 remaining. Rupp left the ice for the dressing room about 51/2 minutes earlier after he banged his left leg against the boards after being hit from behind by defenseman Dan Girardi.
Rupp scored into an empty net with 1:40 remaining to give him a career-high eight goals.
Pittsburgh improved to 3-0 this season against the Rangers, including an 8-3 win at home on Saturday night. Sidney Crosby, who had a hat trick and five points in that one, netted his 16th and 17th goals of the season and added an assist Monday.
Crosby made it 4-2 with 4:09 left, and Jordan Staal had two assists for the Penguins, who had dropped eight straight to New York on the road since March 19, 2007.
Pittsburgh has won six in a row against the Rangers, dating to last season.
Marc-Andre Fleury made
29 saves.
Marian Gaborik scored both Rangers goals to push his NHL-leading total to 21, but New York dropped its third straight.
Henrik Lundqvist stopped
28 shots.
Notes: Penguins LW Matt Cooke served the first half of his two-game suspension, delivered by the NHL after his hit to the head of Rangers C Artem Anisimov on Saturday. Anisimov was back in the lineup for the rematch. ... Pittsburgh D Jay McKee returned after missing six games (finger infection). ... Rupp scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for New Jersey in 2003. ... Gaborik has five two-goal games this season.
