Recap: Pittsburgh vs. NY Islanders
Sports Network | April 9, 2010
Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) - Sidney Crosby posted a goal and three assists, as Pittsburgh recorded a spirited 7-3 victory over the New York Islanders in the final regular-season game at Mellon Arena.
Crosby, the 22-year-old Pens captain, is on the cusp of reaching the 50-goal mark for the first time and also eclipsed the 500-point mark for his career. He has recorded four goals and 11 assists in his last six games for 104 total points this season, and took over the NHL goal-scoring lead from Alex Ovechkin by one (49-48).
Bill Guerin tallied twice while Tyler Kennedy added a goal and a helper for the Penguins, who have won four of six and pulled into a tie again for the Atlantic Division lead with New Jersey. The Devils lost to Florida, but hold the tiebreaker after winning all six meetings with Pittsburgh this season.
"We got two big points here on a night when there's expectations," Crosby said. "We wanted to finish off strong here. I think everyone is happy with the result. We all know the opportunity now with Jersey losing. These next two games are that much more important for us."
Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 32 shots for the Penguins, who play at Atlanta Saturday before finishing up Sunday against the Islanders.
Matt Moulson, Kyle Okposo and Josh Bailey tallied for the Islanders, who had made a brief but futile charge towards a playoff berth with five wins in their last six games coming in.
Martin Biron started and took the loss after he allowed four goals on 10 shots in the first period. Dwayne Roloson finished the contest by making 22 saves.
"We gave up a lot in the first period," Islanders coach Scott Gordon said. "Four goals in the first period is a pretty hard road to come back from."
Fleury made three successive stops on an Islanders' short-handed break early in the second, but he couldn't stop Bailey's deflection of a Mark Streit shot for a 4-3 game at 6:49.
Guerin was ruled to have made contact with a Crosby slapshot on a Pittsburgh power play with 5:26 to play in the second for a two-goal edge then Kennedy's blast made it 6-3 just over two minutes later.
Guerin tallied once more, at the 1:46 mark of the third period for a four-goal bulge and the home team coasted to victory.
Pittsburgh got off to a hot start after Brooks Orpik rippled the net from the right circle just 23 seconds in, then Alex Goligoski struck from 15 feet out during a power play at 5:01.
Moulson's deflection in the slot pulled the Isles within a goal on a power play at 8:29, but Evgeni Malkin's solo rush down the left wing made it 3-1 for Pittsburgh with 4:45 left in the first.
Okposo's wrister less than two minutes later brought New York back within a goal, but Crosby registered his 49th of the season inside the final minute.
Mellon, once known as the Civic Arena, is the oldest building in the NHL, and has housed the Penguins since their 1967 inception. Pittsburgh will move into Consol Energy Center for next season...Mario Lemieux holds the franchise record with six 50-or-more goal seasons, the last coming in 1996-97...Lemieux also posted six straight 100-point years to begin his career, while Crosby has four in his first five...Pittsburgh has won four of five meetings with the Islanders this season.
