PENGUINS 5, BRUINS 3: Sidney Crosby scored a pair of goals, including the game-winner in the second period, to help visiting Pittsburgh snap a mini-slide while winning a fifth straight at TD Garden.

Paul Martin, James Neal and Arron Asham each scored for the Penguins, who had dropped four of six games and are battling for home ice in the first round of the playoffs. Kris Letang had three assists.

Crosby, playing in just his 20th game of the campaign, added an assist and now has nine points (three goals, six assists) in his past three outings.

Pittsburgh moved three points ahead of Philadelphia for fourth place in the Eastern Conference with two games to play.

Neal broke a deadlock with the man advantage at 18:11 of the second period, using a snap shot to extend his career-high tally count to 40. The Penguins took advantage of another power play as Crosby snuck the puck past Marty Turco with one second left in the frame for the 4-2 lead.

Benoit Pouliot, Milan Lucic, Rich Peverley scored for the Bruins, who were 7-1-1 in their past nine and have already locked up the No. 2 seed in the East.

The Penguins jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Crosby scored almost eight minutes in and Martin doubled the advantage seven minutes later. Pouliot got one back for Boston before the first period ended and Lucic leveled things 2-2 with his 25th goal 18 seconds into the second.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Pittsburgh forward Pascal Dupuis had his NHL-best 14-game point streak snapped. … Bruins center David Krejci notched two assists, giving him eight points the last five games. … Both teams have two games remaining in the regular season.