Cizikas, Lee score 2 each as Islanders beat Penguins 6-3
New York Islanders left wing Anthony Duclair (11) scores against Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry, left, during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Noah K. Murray]
NEW YORK (AP) — Casey Cizikas and Anders Lee each scored twice and the New York Islanders beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 on Saturday night.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anthony Duclair also scored, and Mathew Barzal and Alexander Romanov each had two assists for New York, which had lost three of four. Ilya Sorokin finished with 22 saves.
Michael Bunting, Noel Acciari and Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins, who were 4-1-1 in their previous six games. Tristan Jarry made 28 saves.
New York scored three-goals during a 4-minute stretch in the second period to take the lead.
Duclair put the Islanders ahead for good at 5:39. Lee made it 3-1 at 8:36 as his shot from the left side was stopped by Penguins defenseman Kris Letang behind a sprawled Jarry, but Letang then knocked the puck in. Cizikas scored 1:03 later on a deflection.
Acciari scored with 6:11 remaining in the second and Rakell made it 4-3 with 4 seconds left in the period.
Cizikas converted a breakaway with 5:17 left and Lee had an empty-netter in the final minute.
Pageau got the Islanders on the scoreboard with 5:13 left In the first period, and Bunting tied it 1:16 later for his 200th career point (86 goals, 114 assists).
Islanders: New York’s penalty kill was 3 for 4 after coming in a league-worst 64.4% at home.
Penguins: Pittsburgh squandered a chance to pass Ottawa for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference after the Senators lost at Winnipeg. The Penguins remained one point behind.
Rakell redirected Matt Grzelcyk’s shot in the closing seconds of the middle frame to pull the Penguins within one.
Sidney Crosby initially was credited with a secondary assist on Bunting’s power-play goal in the first period, which would have given him No. 1,034 for his career to pass Mario Lemieux for the franchise record. However, that was later taken away.
Penguins and Islanders complete a home-and-home in Pittsburgh on Sunday.
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