DETROIT -- The Pittsburgh Penguins made up for a bad first period in the final 40 minutes.

Centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin scored 34 seconds apart in the third period to break a tie and send the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 5-2 come-from-behind win against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena.

The Penguins trailed 2-0 early in the second period.

"The way we responded in the second and third period was exciting because it proves that we can play the right way," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said.

Malkin also had two assists, defenseman Kris Letang had two goals and an assist and right winger Patric Hornqvist a goal and two assists for Pittsburgh, which scored the last five goals in the game. Goaltender Jeff Zatkoff made 33 saves for the win.

"Our first period wasn't very good," Hornqvist said. "The second and third periods we really got it together and everybody chipped in."

Left winger Justin Abdelkader and defenseman Brendan Smith scored for Detroit, which lost its third consecutive game in regulation. Goalie Petr Mrazek made 32 saves.

"When we're up 2-0 we need, I don't want to say a killer instinct, but we really need to start taking the game over," Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. "We didn't do a good enough job of that."

Crosby gave Pittsburgh a 3-2 lead 7:48 into the third period with a wrist shot, while on his knees, from the inside edge of the right circle. It was Crosby's ninth goal.

Malkin made it 4-2 at 8:22 when he put in a wrist shot from the inside edge of the right circle. It was Malkin's 18th goal.

Letang scored an empty-net goal, for his second of the game and third of the season, with less than two minutes left.

"We were really going after it in the third and when you're playing on your toes, you find more energy," Crosby said.

The Penguins lost 3-2 in a shootout against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday in Pittsburgh.

Abdelkader gave Detroit a 1-0 lead 6:47 into the first period when he put a loose puck into the open side of the net from the bottom of the left circle. It was Abdelkader's 12th goal of the season.

Smith made it 2-0 with 7:45 left in the first period. His shot from the bottom of the left circle, off a rebound, found its way through Zatkoff for Smith's third goal.

"Their power play got them back in the game and our power play (0-for-5) didn't get us back in it," Detroit captain and forward Henrik Zetterberg said. "We had our chances on the power play but we couldn't really get any goals going."

The Penguins scored two power-play goals in the second period to tie the game 2-2.

Hornqvist made it 2-1, 45 seconds into the second period when he put in a shot from the crease area for his seventh goal.

Blashill challenged the goal, claiming that Hornqvist interfered with Mrazek.

"I think I had it in my hand and the guy in front of me (Hornqvist) just pushed me with his hand, hit my blocker and the puck went." Mrazek said.

Letang tied the game 2-2 with 8:16 left in the second period. He scored from the bottom of the right circle after faking a shot and making a move as he skated deeper into the circle.

"When he is in our lineup and he plays the way that he did tonight, it shows the kind of impact he can have on our team," Sullivan said of Letang.

Letang has sustained various injuries this season, limiting him to 28 games. He played in consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 28 and Dec. 1. Letang has three goals and 16 assists.

NOTES: Red Wings RW Tomas Jurco left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury. Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill didn't have an update after the game. ... Detroit D Jonathan Ericsson returned after missing five games with a shoulder injury. ... Pittsburgh D Kris Letang, who has sustained various injuries this season, is playing in consecutive games for the first time since Nov. 28 and Dec. 1. ... The Red Wings were without LW Drew Miller (broken jaw), RW Teemu Pulkkinen (dislocated shoulder), D Kyle Quincey (ankle) and RW Johan Franzen (concussion). ... Pittsburgh sent D Adam Clendening to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a conditioning assignment. ... F Joakim Andersson and D Jakub Kindl were Detroit's healthy scratches. ... The injured Penguins were G Marc-Andre Fleury (concussion) and RW Beau Bennett (upper body). ... Pittsburgh's healthy scratches were LW Sergei Plotnikov and D David Warsofsky.