When it rains, it pours, and the New York Islanders were on the wrong end of that expression Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 7-0 loss.
ELMONT, NY – When it rains, it pours, and the New York Islanders were on the wrong end of that expression Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a 7-0 loss.
The Islanders' penalty kill had to be strong early in the game, killing off two Pittsburgh power plays in the first period.
The first period had little action, with both teams only generating five shots apiece. Both the Penguins and Islanders were stingy on defense, limiting chances.
New York had a power play chance early into the second period but was unable to score.
6:44 into the second period the referees blew the whistle before Rickard Rakell scored. The puck slipped past Sorokin, the officials whistled and called it no goal. The call was then overturned and counted as a good goal, giving the Penguins a 1-0 lead. Assists went to Guentzel and Marcus Pettersson.
With the Penguins pressuring with a sustained shift in the offensive zone, Guentzel deflected a point shot from Kris Letand into the back of the net. Pittsburgh took a 2-0 lead midway through the second period. Pettersson added another secondary assist.
Guentzel did it again as just twelve seconds later he was alone on a breakaway and buried a wrist shot past Sorokin. The Penguins took a 3-0 lead right after the Islanders called their timeout. Rakell and Letang assisted on the goal.
The Islanders were pinned in their own zone yet again when Evgeni Malkin floated into the slot and scored low blocker side on Sorokin. The goal was scored at 12:48, giving Pittsburgh a 4-0 lead. Reilly Smith assisted with Letang getting his third assist of the game.
Malkin scored his second goal of the period as he got lost in the Islanders' defense. The goal was a tap-in from the crease for Malkin, with Letang and Pettersson getting the assists. Pittsburgh moved their lead to 5-0 at 16:06.
Pittsburgh scored their sixth goal of the second period at 17:11. Radim Zohorna scored his fourth goal of the season off a 2-on-1 pass from Valtteri Puustinen. Letang was awarded with his fifth assist of the period.
The second period ended with the Islanders trailing the Penguins by a score of 6-0. Pittsburgh led the shot totals for the middle frame 20-7.
Varlamov releid Sorokin to start the third.
Valtteri Puustinen scored his first NHL goal 9:48 into the third period with a one-timed shot. Letang added his sixth assist of the game, with Pettersson getting the secondary.
UP NEXT: The Islanders host the Washington Capitals Friday night at 7:30 PM.
LINES:
Anders Lee - Bo Horvat - Mathew Barzal
Pierre Engvall - Brock Nelson - Kyle Palmieri
Simon Holmstrom - Jean-Gabriel Pageau - Hudson
Hudson Fasching - Casey Cizikas - Cal Clutterbuck
Alex Romanov - Noah Dobson
Samuel Bolduc - Robert Bortuzzo
Mike Reilly - Sebastian Aho
Ilya Sorokin
Semyon Varlamov