Chris Kunitz has played alongside Sidney Crosby, off and on, for a lot of years.

He might know Crosby’s game as well as anyone except, well, Crosby.

It’s worth noting, then, that Kunitz hasn’t detected a whole lot of change in it the past few weeks.

With one exception.

“There’s nothing really different in his game,” Kunitz said. “Other than the points coming.”

Oh yeah, the points.

People tend to notice those, especially when the guy getting them is a two-time NHL scoring champion whose scoring touch seemed to desert him through the early months of this season.

But after manufacturing only nine points in his first 18 games, which projects to 41 over a full season, Crosby has put up nine goals and 11 assists in his past 19.

That includes two goals in the Penguins’ 5-2 victory Saturday night against the New York Islanders, when Crosby earned a couple of points for the fifth time in his past seven games.

“I feel better out there,” he said. “I feel like I’m playing with a little bit more pace.”

His surge hoisted Crosby into a 10-way tie for 44th place in the NHL scoring race as of Monday night. That’s a spot or two or 40 lower than Crosby is most seasons when he is reasonably healthy.

“Obviously, it’s not the start he wanted to have to the season, points-wise, individually,” right winger David Perron said. “That can wear on a guy when he’s been at the top of the world for a long time.”

While Crosby won’t have to clear shelf space for another Art Ross Trophy this spring, he has been reminding observers lately why it’s risky to leave him out of any conversation about the game’s top players.

His confidence has risen in conjunction with his point production, and he has been more assertive on the ice of late. Crosby is back to relying on the instincts that have served him so well for so long, and is being rewarded.

“I think anyone will tell you that when they feel good about their game, it’s all reactions,” he said. “There’s not a lot of thinking involved.

“Sometimes, when you’re struggling, you can over-think things a bit and almost try too hard to be in the right places. That kind of slows you down.

“I’ve tried to not think about things as much. Just go out there and work hard and let the plays happen.”

Coincidentally or otherwise, Crosby’s productivity has spiked since Mike Sullivan replaced Mike Johnston Dec. 12 as coach; he was shut out in Sullivan’s first two games behind the bench before piling up five goals and five assists in his past seven.

Crosby, though, said his offensive game began to get in sync early in December on a four-game swing through California and Colorado, when he had a goal and three assists.

“We started to play really well,” Crosby said. “And personally, I felt a lot better.”

Despite Crosby’s resurgence - and numerous other factors, like a suddenly potent power play and enhanced energy and focus throughout the lineup - the Penguins head into a home-and-home series against Chicago that begins Tuesday night at Consol Energy Center without having cracked the top eight in the Eastern Conference.

That adds an urgency that could explain, at least in part, why Crosby and his teammates have elevated their games.

“It’s kind of a unique situation for us at this point of the season, to be in this kind of race for the playoffs,” Crosby said. “It’s not a bad thing. I think it’s good. Hopefully, it brings out the best in all of us.”+++