WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) – Pittsburgh’s much-celebrated top draft pick Sidney Crosby had an assist in his NHL exhibition debut, but it wasn’t enough for the Penguins in a 5-4 overtime loss Wednesday night to the Boston Bruins.

Zdenek Blatny scored the game-winner, blasting a power-play shot between the pads of Jocelyn Thibault 4:02 into the extra session.

After Brad Isbister scored to give Boston a 1-0 lead, Crosby recorded his first point 8:28 in. Goalie Tim Thomas kept Crosby’s backhander out of the net, but Mark Recchi followed the shot and poked in the rebound to tie the game.

Crosby had another scoring chance about five minutes later, but his wrist shot from the slot off a rebound of a shot by Recchi shot hit the crossbar.

Boston took a 2-1 lead when Bergeron scored short-handed at 9:17. Pittsburgh tied it 2-2 when Sergei Gonchar scored on a power-play slap shot 21 seconds later.

The Bruins made it 3-2 lead when Brad Boyes scored on a bad-angle one-timer on the power play with 2:37 left in the period.

Bergeron’s second goal, a centering pass that took a deflection and slipped between Thibault’s pads, put Boston up 4-2 late in the second period. Ryan VandenBussche also scored for the Penguins.

Ziggy Palffy tied the game 4-4 in the third period for the Penguins, scoring on his second whack at a bouncing puck after Mario Lemieux sent a centering pass into the crease.

Lemieux had two assists.

AP-ES-09-21-05 2302EDT