NEW YORK -- Sidney Crosby's recent scoring streak has earned him NHL first star honours for the second consecutive month.
Crosby led all players with 24 points (14 goals, 10 assists) in 13 games as the Pittsburgh Penguins posted a 9-3-1 record.
He scored points in each of his first 12 games to extend his point streak to 25 games, the longest by an NHL player since Mats Sundin recorded a point in 30 consecutive games in 1992-93 for the Quebec Nordiques.
Crosby recorded multiple points in eight games, starting with a natural hat trick in a 3-2 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers Dec. 2. He scored a pair of goals each in victories over the Columbus Blue Jackets (7-2, Dec. 4) and Toronto Maple Leafs (5-2, Dec. 8) and recorded two goals and two assists in a 6-3 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers Dec. 28.
Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo earned second-star honours after leading the Canucks to the league's top record in December (11-1-2). Luongo posted a record of 8-1-1 with a 2.07 goals-against average, .922 save percentage and one shutout in 10 starts.
Luongo allowed two goals or fewer seven times, highlighted by 32 saves in a 3-0 victory at Chicago on Dec. 3 for his 53rd career NHL shutout.
Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom was named the third star after leading all defencemen in scoring with 16 points (eight goals, eight assists) in 16 games.
Lidstrom helped the Red Wings remain in contention for first place in the Western Conference and overall League standings.
