PITTSBURGH — The Islanders’ up-and-down, fast-paced tempo always seem to bring out the worst defensively in the Penguins. It did on Friday but they lost, 4-3, as a comeback fell short.
Sidney Crosby scored the game-winner with 1:16 remaining during a game that saw the Islanders rally from a pair of two two-goal deficits for the second time in two games against Pittsburgh.
“We had a lot of chances, but that wasn’t our best game,” Crosby said. “We probably could’ve put it away early, but they hung around.”
Thomas Vanek scored twice for the Islanders in his first game after missing five with an upper-body injury. Vanek has three goals and two assists with the Islanders since being acquired from the Sabres last month. Colin McDonald also got his second of the season for the Islanders.
Kevin Poulin made 30 saves for the Islanders. He started his sixth straight game in place of injured starter Evgeni Nabokov, who is out with a groin injury.
The Islanders lost for the seventh time in nine games.
The two teams combined for six goals through two periods, but things settled down in the third. With less than 90 seconds left, Kunitz got the puck to Pascal Dupuis behind the net, and he centered it to Crosby, who got the tiebreaker for the Penguins.
McDonald started the comeback, beating Zatkoff with a wrist shot to the blocker side off the rush. Vanek scored his second of the game soon after, finding a loose puck during a scrum in front after the Islanders capitalized on a Penguins turnover.