Penguins Stumble, Comeback Thwarted by Islanders

ELMONT, NY — The Pittsburgh Penguins (16-16-5) scored a fourth-line goal later in the second period and earned a fortuitous goal in the final minutes of the second period to close a formerly 4-1 New York Islanders (14-15-7) lead to 4-3. Noel Acciari converted a fourth-line net-front scrum for the first goal of the attempted comeback, and then Rickard Rakell tipped Matt Grzelcyk’s shot with just four seconds remaining in the middle period.

A struggling but present Penguins team was bolstered as the sinking Islanders’ shoulders dropped.

However, that was the end of the Penguins’ comeback, as both teams skated through a low-event third period. The Penguins had only two shots in the first 15 minutes of the third. Casey Czikas scored his second goal of the game on a breakaway at 14 43 of the third, and the Islanders beat the Penguins 6-3 at UBS Arena on Saturday.

Anders Lee (15) scored the empty netter, also his second goal of the game.

After a four-day layoff, the Penguins struggled to find a good rhythm. Good moments were followed by bad, and pucks were just out of reach for prime scoring chances. However, the Penguins may have received a good omen early in the first period.

As has happened so many times this season, the Penguins allowed a goal on the first shot of the game. Penguins killer Brock Nelson whistled a wrister past goalie Tristan Jarry–but this one was overturned after coach Mike Sullivan’s challenge. Neither the goal nor the shot counted as Islanders forward Anthony Duclair contacted Jarry before the shot, clearly twisting the Penguins goalie out of position.

Yet, the Islanders still scored first. Jean-Gabriel Pageau was uncovered after a faceoff against Sidney Crosby as he went to the net, and nary a forward or defenseman went with him, and Pageau (8) easily chipped the puck over Jarry at 14:47 of the first period.

In what could have been another potentially positive omen, it was the Penguins who scored quickly following the Islanders’ goal. Michael Bunting (10) pounced on a bouncing puck in the slot, and his turning wrist shot eluded Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin at 16:03.

Initially, scorers awarded Crosby an assist, which would have been his Penguins franchise record 1034th career assist, but during the intermission, scorers took it away.

Seriously?

In the second period, the Islanders’ superior pressure and intensity yielded a trio of quick goals.

Fellow Penguins killer Kyle Palmieri got behind the Penguins defenders after a blue line puck battle, creating a two-on-one with Duclair (3), who snapped a shot past Jarry at 5:39 of the second.

Less than three minutes later, Anders Lee (14) received his belated Christmas present from the Penguins defenders. He was able to slip away from the net front for a high-danger shot. The puck hit the post and then Jarry, but as defenseman Kris Letang attempted to clear the puck from the crease, he fanned, accidentally putting the puck in his own net at 8:36.

And 63 seconds later, the Islanders put real distance between themselves and the Penguins with their fourth goal–a long-range deflection near the right circle by Czikas (2) surprised Jarry at 9:39.

However, the Penguins kept it close later in the second period with an ugly fourth-line goal. After a net-front scrum, Noel Acciari (4) poked a loose puck into the net at 13:49.

As the final seconds of the second period ticked away, Crosby rushed the Islanders’ zone instead of turning for the bench and the locker room. Crosby put in motion, though didn’t get an assist, when Rakell (18) deflected Grzelcyk’s shot. The puck bounced into the net behind a shocked Sorokin and put the shaky Islanders on the edge.

Jarry stopped 29 of 34 shots. Sorokin made 22 saves on 25 shots.

The Penguins and Islanders won’t wait long to face off again. The teams meet Sunday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena. The puck drop is 5:30 p.m.