Kris Letang, left, scored two goals for the second time in 10 days on Friday night. (Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press)

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored and assisted twice on Friday night in a 4-1 home victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Defenceman Kris Letang had two goals as Pittsburgh stayed within one point of the Eastern Conference playoff line, with Petr Sykora the other scorer.

Letang scored two goals for the second time in six games, after having never accomplished the feat in 113 previous NHL appearances.

Crosby now has 21 goals and 51 assists for 72 points, eight behind teammate Evgeni Malkin, who drew an assist on the Sykora goal.

Pittsburgh scored three times in the middle period in just under 10 minutes on Columbus backup Wade Dubielewicz, with two of the goals of a stoppable nature.

Dubielewicz was making his first start of the season, having previously allowed four goals over 49 minutes in a relief appearance on Jan. 31.

The team's sensational rookie Steve Mason had started the previous 19 games, but has been diagnosed with mononucleosis.

The team has dealt with instability in net aside from Mason's accomplishments, which include a league-leading seven shutouts. Veteran Fredrik Norrena was waived early in the year, with Pascal Leclaire out at least two more months after undergoing ankle surgery recently.

Dubielewicz finished with 21 saves on Friday, and he wasn't helped much by his teammates, who went without a goal in their first four power-play chances before Fedor Tyutin beat Marc-Andre Fleury midway through the third.

Fleury was impressive in a first period where Columbus outshot Pittsburgh 15-5. Michael Peca and R.J. Umberger were each credited with three shots on the Penguins netminder.

Dubielewicz, who began the season with the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia, stood up to Malkin early.

Letang opened the scoring at 5:33 of the second on the power play. The defenceman took a shot parallel to the goal line that snuck in on Dubielewicz's short side.

Just over three minutes later, Sykora took a Brooks Orpik pass in stride from the left circle and drove it home for a two-goal lead, prompting Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock to call a timeout.

It didn't help much as Letang potted his second later in the period after Columbus turned the puck over in Pittsburgh's end.

Crosby skated down the left side and waited for Letang to catch up, offering his teammate a drop pass to tee up a shot that beat Dubielewicz high.

The Blue Jackets goalie stopped Jordan Staal on a two-on-one in the third, and Tyutin took a cross-ice pass from Kristian Huselius to get them on the board.

Columbus couldn't gain any more momentum, however, and remained in 10th place in the Western Conference with the loss.

Crosby's goal was into an empty net.

Fleury finished with 33 saves for Pittsburgh.