UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- Rookie John Tavares scored on a rebound at 13:48 of the third period to give the New York Islanders a 3-2 victory against the Penguins at Nassau Coliseum this afternoon.

Josh Bailey put the Islanders in front, 1-0, at 9:05 of the opening period when he pounced on a loose puck at the right side of the crease and knocked it past goalie Brent Johnson.

Evgeni Malkin tied the game with a spectacular goal at 17:22, backhanding a shot past New York goalie Dwayne Roloson and inside the far post from the bottom of the right circle.

The goal, Malkin's seventh, netted assists for Eric Godard and Ben Lovejoy. Godard's point was his first of the season.

Matt Cooke put the Penguins up, 2-1, at 7:12 of the second by swatting a Jordan Staal rebound past Roloson for his fifth. Sergei Gonchar got the second assist.

Sean Bergenheim threw a wrist shot over Johnson's glove from above the left dot at 1:24 of the third to pull New York even, triggering an Islanders surge that carried through most of the period.

The Penguins (17-9) will face the New York Rangers at 7:38 p.m. tomorrow at Mellon Arena, then have a rematch with them two nights later in Manhattan.

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