Sidney Crosby scored the only goal of the shootout Thursday as the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators, who had their three-game winning streak halted.

After Bryan Rust scored in the second period for Pittsburgh, Nashville's Ryan Ellis tied it 1-1 with 3:01 left in regulation with an unassisted sharp-angle goal from the bottom of the right circle.

It was the third straight game the Penguins gave up a late tying goal. They lost the previous two, one in overtime and one in a shootout, but were able to collect the second point Thursday.

On the shootout winner, Crosby, Pittsburgh's second shooter, snapped the puck between the pads of goaltender Pekka Rinne, who had stopped Phil Kessel in the shootout and made 32 saves through regulation and overtime.

Penguins goalie Matt Murray stopped Ryan Johansen, Ellis and Brian Boyle in the shootout after he turned away 28 shots in regulation and overtime.

Pittsburgh (40-24-11) pulled even with the second-place New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division in points (91), but the Islanders have a game in hand.

Nashville (42-27-6) remained in second place in the Central Division.

The game was the first meeting of the season for the clubs, who play once more March 29 in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh played its third straight game without center Evgeni Malkin, who has apparently not resumed skating as he recovers from an upper-body injury. The Penguins had been 0-5-2 on the road this season with Malkin out of the lineup.

After a scoreless first, the Penguins took a 1-0 lead at 5:57 of the second.

Rust notched his 18th goal with a move that seemed to fool Rinne. Rust was in front of the crease when Kris Letang took a shot from the right point.

Instead of acting as a screen or trying to deflect the puck, Rust stopped it, then stickhandled in a sweeping motion across the top of the slot and backhanded a shot around the goalie.

--Field Level Media