Isles Disrupt Pens' Home Win Streak, 5-3

Of all the teams the Pittsburgh Penguins have played over the past month during their incredible run, the Islanders were probably the last team imaginable to prevent them from reaching the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

The New York Islanders ended Pittsburgh’s home winning streak at 10, with a 5-3 victory over the Penguins, Tuesday night. Coupled with a New York Rangers win, the Penguins went from one point back to three from reaching the top seed.

Frans Nielsen scored 3:12 into the game on a fortunate bounce off the backboards. Dylan Reese took a pass from Josh Bailey and fired a wrist shot off the outside post. The puck caromed off the backboards and found Nielsen who fired the puck into a wide open net.

Herd That 2 Wins Away From $1,000,000

Herd That Wins Again

Best Virginia to Face Off Against Herd That

For Marc-Andre Fleury, it would be one of many bad bounces that ended up in the net, Tuesday night.

The Islanders extended their lead to two with just five seconds remaining in the first period. Michael Grabner, after getting away with an apparent hold in his own zone, took the puck at the attacking blue line from Nielsen, skated down the near boards, and fired a shot off the glove of Fleury and into the net.

Pittsburgh quickly came back in the second period. Tyler Kennedy redirected Pascal Dupuis’s shot to bring the Penguins within one. Three minutes later, James Neal buried a shot past Evgeni Nabokov after a nice pass from Chris Kunitz on a 2 on 1 rush.

The Penguins appeared to be back in the game, but the Islanders scored three goals in the final eight minutes of the second period to take a commanding 5-2 lead. Kyle Okposo wristed a shot over Fleury’s shoulder after the puck took a weird bounced off the boards at center ice. Three minutes later David Ullstrom scored in front on the power play. Frans Nielsen added a goal, going around Fleury who attempted to poke check the puck.

Pittsburgh pulled Fleury, hopefully due to surrendering 5 goals on 18 shots and not because of the nasty collision he had with Paul Martin that led to the fifth Islanders’ goal.

As Fleury came out to poke check the puck off Nielsen, Paul Martin collided with the side of Fleury’s head. The goaltender laid on the ice, holding his head without his helmet, before eventually getting up. Earlier in the period, Fleury took a hard shot off the side of the mask which appeared to stun him for a short period.

The Penguins took zero chances in the third period, pulling Fleury for Brad Thiessen. Oddly enough, the Islanders also pulled Evgeni Nabokov after two periods despite allowing just two goals on 32 Penguin shots. Nabokov sustained a lower body injury midway through the second period.

The Islanders, however, did not need him to finish the game.

Al Montoya came in and stopped 20 of 21 shots in Pittsburgh’s furious attempt to tie the game. Montoya’s best save came against Evgeni Malkin who had the puck in front with the 27 year old goaltender down and out. Malkin, from his knees attempted to lift the puck, but Montoya stopped the shot with his glove to keep the game locked at 5-2.

James Neal scored his second goal of the game and 37th of the season with just under five minutes remaining. The Penguins kept attacking, getting excellent chances from Pascal Dupuis, Jordan Staal and Evgeni Malkin. However, Montoya stopped the final nine shots and the Islanders were able to come away with their first regulation win in Pittsburgh since December 21th, 2007.