A three-game winning streak is hardly a sufficient reason to celebrate.
But for the 2024-25 Pittsburgh Penguins, it remains an accomplishment beyond their grasp. Tuesday’s 4-3 shootout loss to the New York Islanders at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y. snapped a modest sequence of two consecutive wins.
A shootout goal by Islanders forward Bo Horvat was the difference.
Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic’s record fell to 2-2-2 after he made 23 saves on 26 shots in regulation (he did not face any shots in overtime) then stopped two of three attempts in the shootout.
Penguins forwards Rickard Rakell and Sidney Crosby as well as defenseman Kris Letang were denied on their shootout attempts.
The Penguins had a 3-1 lead in the third period but allowed the final two goals of regulation to a team that was missing five of its regulars in forwards Mathew Barzal (a three-time All-Star) and Anthony Duclair as well as defensemen Adam Pelech, Mike Reilly and Alexander Romanov, all hobbled by undisclosed injuries.
“It’s frustrating,” Nedeljkovic said to media in Elmont via audio provided by the team’s media relations staff. “We played great the first two periods. I thought we took it to them. I don’t know. It’s a tough pill to swallow.”
Following a scoreless opening frame, Crosby opened the scoring 5:25 into the second period with his sixth goal of the season.
Along New York’s end boards, a forechecking Rakell hounded Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield and forced him to turn the puck over to Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, who inadvertently deflected it with his stick it from the goal line on the right wing to the slot. Crosby was in the right place at the right time and immediately backhanded the errant puck off of the left sleeve of goaltender Ilya Sorokin’s jersey and into the cage. It marked the third consecutive contest Crosby has scored a goal. Malkin and Rakell had assists.
Pittsburgh goal!
Scored by Sidney Crosby with 14:35 remaining in the 2nd period.
New York: 0
Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsNYI #Isles #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/dwyyOI7hCq— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 6, 2024
The Islanders issued a coach’s challenge on the basis of the sequence being offside, but officials found no evidence of said accusations and gave a delay of game penalty to the hosts.
Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri’s sixth goal tied the game at 12:21 of the second period.
From the center point of the offensive zone, Horvat chucked a wrister through a screen composed of Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson and Islanders forward Maxim Tsyplakov. Nedeljkovic made an initial save with his right leg but allowed a rebound to pop up into the air. The puck returned to earth, landing to the right of the cage where Palmieri slipped behind Letang, choked up on his stick and bunted in a forehand shot by a disoriented Nedeljkovic. Horvat and Tsyplakov tallied assists.
New York goal!
Scored by Kyle Palmieri with 07:39 remaining in the 2nd period.
Assisted by Bo Horvat.
New York: 1
Pittsburgh: 1#PITvsNYI #Isles #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/1AdfhehpH9— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 6, 2024
Malkin restored a lead for the Penguins with his fourth goal during a power-play sequence 76 seconds later.
Accepting a pass at the center point of the offensive zone, Penguins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk considered his options and deemed a forehand pass to the right circle as his best choice. Malkin validated that faith by cracking a one-timer that clipped the upper left corner of Sorokin’s left pad and found an avenue through the goaltender’s five hole. Grzelcyk and Rakell registered assists.
???? GENO MACHINO ???? pic.twitter.com/0gYL0sqyie
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 6, 2024
Penguins forward Michael Bunting’s first goal came 7:44 into the third period.
Off a stretch pass by Penguins forward Noel Acciari, linemate Jesse Puljujarvi gained the offensive zone on the right wing and tucked a forehand pass by Islanders defenseman Grant Hutton for Bunting, surging down the slot. Attacking the cage on a partial breakaway, Bunting snapped a wrister off the left post and behind Sorokin’s right skate. Puljujarvi and Acciari accrued assists.
Michael Bunting appreciation post ???? pic.twitter.com/pwmkuVO2lO
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) November 6, 2024
The Islanders persisted and made it a one-score game again at 9:39 of the third frame when forward Simon Holmstrom scored his first goal during a power-play scenario.
From the left half wall, Palmieri lobbed a wrister on net that was rejected by Nedeljkovic’s left foot. The rebound kicked out to the slot where Holmstrom claimed it on his backhand, dragged it to his backhand and avoided a sliding Pettersson before roofing a shot by a scrambling Nedeljkovic’s glove. Assists went to Palmieri and defenseman Ryan Pulock.
Power play goal for New York!
Scored by Simon Holmstrom with 10:19 remaining in the 3rd period.
Assisted by Kyle Palmieri and Ryan Pulock.
New York: 2
Pittsburgh: 3#PITvsNYI #Isles #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/lA6aePNKn4— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 6, 2024
Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s third goal tied the game at 12:48 of the third.
Corralling a loose puck in the right corner of the Penguins’ zone, Horvat dished a pass to the near circle where Pageau stepped up and chopped a one-timer by Nedeljkovic’s right shoulder on the far side. Horvat and linemate Anders Lee, who offered a stout screen on the sequence, logged assists.
New York goal!
Scored by Jean-Gabriel Pageau with 07:12 remaining in the 3rd period.
Assisted by Bo Horvat and Anders Lee.
New York: 3
Pittsburgh: 3#PITvsNYI #Isles #LetsGoPens pic.twitter.com/RGM4gVVWOJ— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) November 6, 2024
“We played two good periods,” Pettersson said. “Got the 3-1 lead there in the third (period). Took a couple of penalties. Just momentum. We kind of gave it to them.”
In the shootout, Nedeljkovic denied Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom and Palmieri.
Notes:
• Penguins forward Cody Glass appeared in his 200th career game.
• Puljujarvi returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch for the previous two games.
• Penguins forward Valtteri Puustinen and defenseman Ryan Shea were healthy scratches.
• In 87 career games against the Islanders, Crosby has 135 points (42 goals, 93 assists).
• In 79 career games against the Islanders, Malkin has 92 points (36 goals, 56 assists).
• The Penguins have lost three consecutive games against the Islanders (0-1-2).
• In 14 career games against the Penguins, Sorokin has a 9-5-0 record.
• Sorokin appeared in his 200th career game.
• Islanders defenseman Isaiah George made his NHL debut after being recalled from Bridgeport of the American Hockey League earlier in the day.
