If Thursday against the Penguins was the Islanders’ best win of the season, then this one was their most emotional.
PITTSBURGH — If Friday against the Penguins was the Islanders’ best win of the season, then this one was their most emotional — a night in which they might just have proved something to themselves more so than anyone else. Mathew Barzal would be out for the foreseeable future
The Islanders have now jumped in the Eastern Conference standings. As things stand, they occupy the first wild-card position with 65 points over the Panthers and Penguins . The Capitals, Sabres and Red Wings remain hot on their heels. And defend it they did, bearing down in their own zone and getting all the help they needed from Ilya Sorokin. Brock Nelson’s empty-net goal sealed it.
Jake Guentzel got the Penguins on the board 6:12 into the game, taking advantage of a missed backcheck by Simon Holmstrom along with poor gap control to finish off a free look from Sidney Crosby’s backhand feed. From there, it looked as though Pittsburgh might romp, controlling play for much of the early going. It was only Nelson’s rush goal 5:19 into the second that let the Islanders start to find a rhythm. The Islanders out-muscled the Penguins.
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