Islanders edge Pens, move back into playoff position
PITTSBURGH -- Anthony Beauvillier and John Tavares scored in the shootout to give the New York Islanders a 4-3 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena Friday.
With the win, the Islanders surpassed the Boston Bruins for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference standings. Both teams have 82 points, but the Islanders (73) have played fewer games than the Bruins (74) heading into their game at the Barclays Center Saturday.
Sidney Crosby scored the Penguins' lone shootout goal. Marc-Andre Fleury finished with 43 saves in while New York's Jaroslav Halak had 40.
The Penguins forged a 3-3 tie at 13:50 of the third period. Defenseman Cameron Gaunce pushed a puck from the right wing past Josh Bailey and attacked the net. After his shot was denied by Halak's right skate, center Matt Cullen lifted the rebound for a goal.
The Islanders nearly scored the game's opening goal on the final second of the first period.
After New York center Brock Nelson fired a wrister from the slot past the right skate of Fleury, the Penguins issued a coach's challenge contending Islanders center Alan Quine interfered with the Pittsburgh goaltender on the edge of the crease. Following a video review, officials overturned the score.
The Penguins opened the scoring less than two minutes into the second period. At the 1:54 mark, Gaunce settled the puck at the right point and wired a slapper through a screen past Halak's glove hand on the near side. It was Gaunce's first goal of the season.
The Islanders tied the contest at 4:48 mark. Taking a drop pass above the left circle from right winger Joshua Ho-Sang, Nelson used Penguins defenseman Mark Streit as a screen and ripped a wrister past Fleury's glove on the far side.
New York took a 2-1 lead at the 10:42 mark. Pushing the puck up the right wing, Bailey fed a pass to the slot where left winger Anders Lee fired a wrister past Fleury's blocker on the near side. The Penguins issued another coach's challenge contending the Islanders were offside upon entering the offensive zone, but officials upheld the goal.
A goal by Crosby at the 13:41 mark tied the game at 2. Off a cross-ice pass by left winger Conor Sheary, Crosby left a drop pass for defenseman Chad Ruhwedel above the right circle. Ruhwedel pumped a one-timer which was blocked by Islanders defenseman Calvin de Haan above the crease. Crosby followed up on the rebound and lifted a wrister from the right circle past Halak's glove hand.
The Islanders claimed a 3-2 lead with five seconds remaining in the second period. Islanders captain John Tavares hounded Ruhwedel into a turnover in the Penguins' right circle and fed the puck into the slot past Penguins defenseman Ian Cole. Center Casey Cizikas was able to tap the puck past Fleury's right skate.
NOTES: During a radio interview with TSN 1200 Friday, Ottawa owner Eugene Melnyk referred to Penguins C Sidney Crosby as a "whiner beyond belief" after an unpenalized slash by Crosby injured a finger on the left hand of Senators D Marc Methot during Thursday's game. In response to Melnyk, Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said, "We see it just the opposite." ... Penguins RW Bryan Rust returned to the lineup after being sidelined 19 games due to an undisclosed injury. ... Penguins C Nick Bonino played in his 400th career game ... Islanders G Jaroslav Halak started his first game since Dec. 29. He was assigned to Bridgeport of the American Hockey League Dec. 31 and recalled Thursday. ... Islanders interim coach Doug Weight said RW Ryan Strome will be sidelined three to six weeks due to a wrist injury. ... Strome was replaced in the lineup by C Alan Quine who had been a healthy scratch for two games.