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Penguins hang on for 4-2 victory over Islanders
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Penguins center Sidney Crosby lies on the ice after he was hit in the face in the second period against the Islanders.
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UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- The Penguins built a 3-0 lead over the New York Islanders, then hung on for a 4-2 victory at Nassau Coliseum tonight.
The victory was their fourth in a row and raised their record to 7-3.
The Penguins needed just six seconds of their first power play to take a 1-0 lead.
James Neal got the goal, his sixth, by taking a feed from Sidney Crosby and throwing a shot past Islanders goalie Evgeni Nabokov from inside the right circle at 2:58 of the opening period for his sixth of the season.
Crosby adjourned to the locker room after being struck in the face by a puck during a power play early in the second period, but returned about five minutes later.
Fleury and the Penguins' penalty-killers came up big repeatedly during the second -- New York was thwarted on six chances with the extra man during the first 40 minutes -- and defenseman Simon Despres padded the Penguins' lead 16 minutes into it.
He took a feed from Chris Kunitz and beat Nabokov from the slot for his second of the season. Kris Letang also got an assist.
Brandon Sutter expanded the Penguins' comfort zone at 1:44 of the third, as he got a pass from Matt Cooke and scored from just inside the left dot, but the Islanders roared back almost immediately.
Michael Grabner spoiled Marc-Andre Fleury's bid for a franchise-record 23rd shutout at 3:14, when he steered in a Kyle Okposo pass from the front edge of the crease at 3:14, and Brad Boyes backhanded in a rebound to make it 3-2 at 3:49.
The Islanders could not score again, however, and Pascal Dupuis of the Penguins sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 19:21.
The Penguins are off until Thursday, when they will meet Washington at 7:08 p.m. at Consol Energy Center.
First Published February 5, 2013 9:34 pm
