Lemieux Fuels Payback Win by Penguins

Mario Lemieux wasn’t about to let the Toronto Maple Leafs humiliate the Pittsburgh Penguins again.

Lemieux scored twice and assisted on Alexei Morozov’s two power-play goals, and the Penguins recovered from their worst opening-game loss with a 5-4 victory over the Maple Leafs on Monday night at Toronto.

The Penguins have won two in a row after a 6-0 loss to Toronto on Thursday at home.

“It’s not revenge, but we were embarrassed in the first game,” Lemieux said. “All hockey players have pride. You have to come back and play better and that’s what we did.”

Lemieux, who had two goals in a 6-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday, scored the game-winner on the power play with 2:18 left when his shot from behind the net deflected off Trevor Kidd’s pads.

“They came in our house and abused us in the first game,” goalie Johan Hedberg said. “We really wanted to come here and beat them.”

Tie Domi, Mats Sundin, Darcy Tucker and Alexander Mogilny scored power-play goals for the Maple Leafs, who have lost two in a row.

Mogilny appeared to score the tying goal with 24 seconds remaining, but it was taken away after it was ruled that Toronto’s Shayne Corson knocked the net off its moorings before the puck went in.

“I thought it was a goal for sure,” Corson said. “The puck was in before it came off.”

After Domi gave Toronto a 1-0 lead early in the first, Lemieux tied it with his third goal this season and the 657th of his career. He fired a slap shot past Kidd at 10:01.

Sundin gave Toronto the lead again with his 400th goal. He received a standing ovation after Mogilny found him alone at the side of the net.

“I’ll cherish that. It was awesome, but too bad we didn’t get the two points,” Sundin said.

Boston 2, Colorado 1 -- Sergei Samsonov scored a power-play goal with half a second to play to lift the Bruins at Denver.

Boston scored on its 17th power-play shot of the game after Milan Hejduk was penalized for pulling down P.J. Axelsson on a partial breakaway at 19:15 of the final period.

“I went low to the glove side,” Samsonov said. “I was surprised when it went in. How many times are you going to score goals like that?”

Boston’s John Grahame made 24 saves, and Colorado’s Patrick Roy had 35.

Despite being outshot, 12-6, in the first period, the Avalanche led, 1-0, on Martin Skoula’s power-play goal at 7:00.

Martin Lapointe tied it with a power-play goal at 10:50 of the second period.

Phoenix 4, Columbus 2 -- Daniel Briere assisted on two of the Coyotes’ three power-play goals at Columbus, Ohio.

The game set Columbus records for most penalties by the Blue Jackets (15), an opponent (19) and combined penalty minutes (108).

The Coyotes converted only two of 13 power-play chances in losing their first two games this season, but scored on two of their first three opportunities against Columbus.

Ladislav Nagy, Shane Doan and Paul Mara had power-play goals. Landon Wilson scored an even-strength goal.

“It was an odd game -- a lot of penalties. I think that’s going to be the norm in the NHL this year,” said Brian Boucher, who made 30 saves for the Coyotes.

Calgary 3, Vancouver 2 -- Rookie Chuck Kobasew scored with 4:38 left, and the Flames rallied from a two-goal deficit at Vancouver, Canada, to win for the first time this season.

Kobasew’s shot from the slot went off the block of Dan Cloutier and bounced in off defenseman Ed Jovanovski, who was tied up with Marc Savard driving to the net.

The Canucks were trying for their fourth 3-0 start in their 33-year history.