NY Islanders score four unanswered in third period to beat Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2

They did it again! For the second consecutive game, the New York Islanders rallied from a 2-0 third-period deficit to score four unanswered goals, this time defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 at PPG Paints Arena. With the win, the Islanders now are three points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Kyle Palmieri scored a goal and two assists, scoring 17 seconds into the third period, while Noah Dobson scored for the second consecutive game. Pierre Engvall, who has had an uptick in his game during the team's three-game point streak (2-0-1), netted the game-winner with 6:52 left, and Simon Holmstrom scored an empty-netter, just as he did Tuesday night against Florida. Ilya Sorokin was strong between the pipes again, stopping 20 of 22 shots in the win.

“The guys did a really nice job,” head coach Patrick Roy said. “Everybody is engaged. Everybody is committed. Guys deserve a lot of credit for what they’re doing right now.

Sidney Crosby notched his 24th goal of the season, and Joona Koppanen scored his first NHL goal for the Penguins. Tristan Jarry stopped 34 shots in the loss that ended Pittsburgh’s four-game winning streak. The Penguins took control early, as Koppanen tipped in a shot from Vladislav Kolyachonok at 4:40 of the first period. Crosby extended the lead to 2-0 with 15 seconds remaining in the opening frame, capitalizing on a rebound from Conor Timmins’ shot.

“We know we’re capable of getting ourselves back in this race and finding a way to get in there,” Palmieri said. “Nothing has really changed. That outside noise that’s been around all year hasn’t wavered our confidence. We’re excited to rise to the challenge coming down the stretch.”

The win marked the first time the Isles scored four goals in consecutive third periods since November 14-17, 1987. They return to the ice on Thursday night to kick off a four-game homestand against Montreal. Face-off is at 7:30 PM EDT.