Crosby scores twice, Metropolitan defeats Atlantic at All-Star Game

SAN JOSE -- Sidney Crosby had two goals and Kris Letang broke a tie with 3:38 remaining in the Metropolitan Division's 7-4 win against the Atlantic Division in the second semifinal of the 2019 Honda NHL All-Star Game at SAP Center on Saturday.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones scored two goals for the Metropolitan Division, which will play against the Central Division in the championship game. The Central won the first semifinal 10-4 against the Pacific Division to advance to the final for the first time in the four-season history of this format.

Crosby opened the scoring 15 seconds into the game. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain did not take part in the 2019 SAP NHL All-Star Skills on Friday because he was ill.

Crosby made it 4-4 with a wrist shot against Detroit Red Wings goalie Jimmy Howard at 3:37 of the second period.

Letang made it 5-4 with a nifty backhand at 6:22. The Penguins defenseman fought off a backcheck to regain control of a bouncing puck and shoveled it under the crossbar.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho made it 6-4 at 8:04. Columbus Blue Jackets forward Cam Atkinson made it 7-4 with an empty-net goal at 9:14.

Jones made it 2-0 at 1:56 and then ended a string of 12 straight saves between Metropolitan goalie Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers) and Atlantic goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning) when he scored his second goal with a rising wrist shot that made it 3-2 with 20 seconds left in the first period.

Vasilevskiy made a huge save on New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal at the conclusion of the first period to keep it a one-goal game.

The Atlantic Division started its comeback when Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel converted a pass from Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak to make it 2-1 at 2:04.

Lightning forward Steven Stamkos scored the highlight-reel goal of the game to tie it at 2-2 at 3:13. After taking a pass from Toronto Maple Leafs forward John Tavares, Stamkos skated down the slot and put the puck and his stick between his legs before shooting it past Henrik Lundqvist and sliding into the goalie.

Sabres forward Jeff Skinner tied it for the Atlantic 56 seconds into the second to make it 3-3. Pastrnak got his second assist.

Tavares gave the Atlantic Division its first lead, 4-3, at 1:28 of the second when he fired a pass from Florida Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle past Washington Capitals goalie Braden Holtby.

Vasilevskiy made 10 saves in the first for the Atlantic; Howard made nine in the second.

Lundqvist played the first for the Metropolitan Division and made five saves. Holtby made 11 saves in the second.

Atlantic Division coach Jon Cooper picked his lines by having the players fill out the lineup board with their signatures before the game and deployed the players in the order in which they signed.

The winner of the second semifinal has won the championship in each of the past three seasons.