{"id":564871,"date":"2026-02-04T04:37:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T04:37:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/564871\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T04:37:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T04:37:09","slug":"penguins-islanders-recap-nyi-makes-comeback-wins-in-ot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/564871\/","title":{"rendered":"Penguins\/Islanders Recap: NYI makes comeback, wins in OT"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Penguins happily welcome the return of Bryan Rust from his suspension and get Stuart Skinner in net.<\/p>\n

Good start for the Penguins, they get an early power play after Scott Mayfield hooks Egor Chinakhov. Smart penalty to take being as Chinakhov was in a similar position to his goal last night, catching a centering feed from Tommy Novak this time and about ready to fire before getting impeded. The Islanders kill the penalty, though Sidney Crosby almost has a highlight reel goal skating by Matthew Schaefer and getting a nice shot away.<\/p>\n

Game goes back and forth for a little, the big guys come through. Justin Brazeau dishes to Anthony Mantha who uses his reach to manipulate just how he can lift the puck to the far-side of Ilya Sorokin. 1-0 Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

The period turns sour for the Penguins as the Islanders score two goals in the final 1:19.<\/p>\n

The first goal is mostly bad luck compounding, Skinner leaves a rebound off his glove, then Ryan Shea can\u2019t clear the puck out of danger. The opposite happens with it ricocheting off bodies and right back to Bo Horvat. Horvat reaches to it before Shea can recover. 1-1.<\/p>\n

As the period nears its end, a delayed penalty call is coming up on Pittsburgh. It never gets called, a long stretch of puck control tires the Pens out and Schaefer is there to hammer one from deep. 2-1 NYI.<\/p>\n

Not a good last minute or so for the visitors to see their lead turn into a 2-1 deficit after 20.<\/p>\n

The Pens find a goal to tie the game. Slick setup from Tommy Novak coming from behind the net. Who else but Egor Chinakhov is there to somehow get just far enough away from the reach of Ryan Pulock and still stay in a prime scoring position. Then again, with his release speed and shot velo, almost everywhere in a prime scoring position. 2-2.<\/p>\n

Rust gets back on the scoreboard in his first game back from suspension, sneaking a bad angle shot off Sorokin and in. Fittingly the sequence starts with Rust out-working Schaefer to keep a puck alive in the zone, a few seconds later it comes back around behind the net and Rust puts some mustard on a Crosby-esque bank shot that leaks through. 3-2.<\/p>\n

Chinakhov and Novak nearly combine for another highlight-reel goal but toss around one too many passes (gahh). Chinakhov does draw his second power play of the game, again for getting impeded as he slipped behind the defense and cut into the net. The power play doesn\u2019t score and the second period wraps up.<\/p>\n

Great response period for the Pens, who outshoot NYI 12-5 in the second period and outscore them 2-1 to regain the lead.<\/p>\n

More good work in the early going, it takes until the 13:59 to go mark before NYI gets their first shot of the period, an outside shot that Skinner easily corrals. By then the Pens had four shots, including Malkin nearly scoring from just in front of the net.<\/p>\n

Which makes it more frustrating when the Islanders find a tying goal with 11:23 to go. Crosby and Ilya Solovyov bump into each other in front of Skinner with no Islanders around them. Mat Barzal shoots from long range, there\u2019s no one in the lanes to block it. Not sure if that puck deflected off Rakell or Solovyov there, it hits the back of the net. 3-3 game.<\/p>\n

The crowd comes to life with something to cheer about and the Pens quiet them with a big answer. Brett Kulak does well to win a puck off the wall and quickly fire it to the net. Justin Brazeau makes a brilliant deflection back across where Sorokin thinks it\u2019s going. 4-3 game, Pittsburgh back in front with 9:20 to go.<\/p>\n

Crosby gets the gate for a tripping call and the NYI power play gets a crack at it, they\u2019re unable to generate a shot.<\/p>\n

Crosby gets high-sticked, no penalty since it was Karlsson\u2019s stick. The Islanders get back to work, Barzal\u2019s pass clicks off Malkin and right to Pulock. Pulock measures up and beats Skinner cleanly. 4-4 game, 4:36 to go.<\/p>\n

The Pens get a close call for a goal, which would have been controversial on Ben Kindel\u2019s part by sticking his leg into Sorokin as Brazeau followed up on a chance.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh takes their timeout, the plans they draw up don\u2019t work out.<\/p>\n

Frantic third period leads to extra time.<\/p>\n

Crosby-Rust-Karlsson start things out, Crosby wins the draw and the Pens get the all-important possession though only for the first 20 seconds. The Pens get it back but Kulak mis-hits the puck and Horvat goes the other way on a breakaway. He makes no mistakes beating Skinner and ending the game.<\/p>\n