PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bo Horvat and Anders Lee scored less than 2 minutes apart in the third period to spark the New York Islanders to a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.
The Islanders pulled off their second late comeback over the Penguins in three days when Horvat beat Tristan Jarry to the short side with 11:26 remaining to tie it. Jarry turned it over behind the Pittsburgh net moments later, kickstarting a sequence that ended with Lee jamming it home to give the injury-ravaged Islanders the lead.
Brock Nelson’s second goal of the game, an empty-netter with 25 seconds left, sealed it for the Islanders.
Ilya Sorokin made 45 saves for New York and singlehandedly kept the Islanders in the game over the first two periods while the Penguins dominated, just as they did at Nassau Coliseum on Friday.
And just like the last game, the Islanders found a way in the third despite an injured list that includes center Mat Barzal and forwards Josh Bailey, JP Pageau and Cal Clutterbuck. New York leapfrogged Pittsburgh in the crowded race for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots after sending the Penguins to a third straight loss.
Jarry, who hadn’t been in net since Jan. 22 due to an upper-body injury, played well for the first 45-plus minutes before a pair of miscues dropped Pittsburgh to 0-9 in its last nine games against Metropolitan Division opponents. Jarry finished with 28 saves.
Jake Guentzel scored his 24th for the Penguins. Jason Zucker’s 16th goal of the season gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead just past the game’s midway point.
The Penguins appeared to be firmly in control for much of the night and showed a spark they’ve lacked for long stretches during their uneven season.
Pittsburgh led 2-1 late in the second period when all 10 skaters on the ice (minus the goaltenders) exchanged words and occasional punches, with Penguin stars Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang in the thick of things.
So was Zucker, who has spent a large portion of the season serving as the team’s emotional fulcrum. The 5-foot-11 Zucker and 6-5 New York forward Ross Johnston needed to be separated by officials, starting a parade to the penalty box that included all non-goaltenders on the ice.
The scrum and the sight of an entire line in the box brought PPG Paints Arena to life. The momentum didn’t last.
Horvat’s flip from just above the goal line tied it and Jarry’s decision to blindly pass the puck from behind his net brought to mind a similar play against the Islanders two years ago that led directly to an overtime goal by New York in a series the Islanders would go on to win.
UP NEXT
Islanders: Return home to face Winnipeg on Wednesday.
Penguins: Host Edmonton on Thursday.
