It was an important game for the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they couldn't maintain a lead.
The Pittsburgh Penguins traveled to Long Island to finish off their four-game road trip, but more importantly, to put separation between themselves and a New York Islanders team they are battling for a postseason spot with.
The battle on Long Island was the first of a handful of extremely important contests for the Penguins.
Still without Tristan Jarry, Casey DeSmith was forced to make his eighth straight start and hope to fend off a volatile trend.
The Penguins had the upper-hand early in the contest, outshooting the Islanders and eventually getting the game’s first goal.
Captain Sidney Crosby gave the Penguins the 1-0 lead and extended his pace of scoring to 18 points in 12 games.
The lead didn’t last long, however, as the Islanders knotted the game at one when the puck just sat on DeSmith’s chest as he laid flat in the crease.
The game was tied after one and the Penguins seemed to be playing a good game, but Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin was standing on his head, as usual.
Despite the Penguins maintaining great momentum through the second period, the Islanders managed to keep up.
Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust scored in rapid succession to give the Penguins a two-goal lead early in the second, but the Islanders had an answer.
Almost 10 minutes after the Zucker goal, Islanders All-Star Brock Nelson potted a wrap around goal to tally.
Rakell answered with his second of the contest to again put the Penguins up by two, but it again didn’t last long.
In the dying seconds of the period, Lee deflected a Mat Brazal shot for his second of the night.
The Penguins were only up by one after the second period, but had a substantial 37-17 lead in shots.
The shot total didn’t mean much as the Islanders picked up a power play goal to tie that game at four.
The Islanders aren’t a team known for their offense, but they were keeping pretty well despite the Penguins putting up a great game for themselves.
It was a slow grind through the third period, neither team was taking a loss as an answer.
With time starting to wind down in regulation, the Islanders took the lead for the first time in the contest with their third unanswered goal.
A last gasp effort at with DeSmith pulled didn't do the trick for the Penguins as they drop the final game of their road trip.
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