"It's pretty sound evidence that it's an effective way to win in this League regardless of who's in your lineup," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "We talk a lot about being hard to play against. I think this is the definition of it. It starts with your own puck possession, the decisions you make, the line changes."
Kris Letang had two assists to put him at 501 points in the NHL, extending his point streak to six games (one goal, seven assists), and Tristan Jarry made 27 saves in his first start of the season for Pittsburgh. Crosby also extended his point streak to six (three goals, seven assists).
Mathieu Perreault and Mark Scheifele scored, and Laurent Brossoit made 21 saves for the Jets (4-3-0), who lost for the first time in four games.
"There were some strange bounces, for sure," Jets coach Paul Maurice said. "So this is what I'll take from this game. I've had a number of guys I've run real hard. And while they were working, it was a tough night for them."
Perreault scored 1:47 into the game to give the Jets a 1-0 lead.
Aston-Reese found a loose puck on the side of the net to tie the game 1-1 4:09 into the first period.