New York Islanders beat the Pittsburg Penguins 5 to 3

By Fred Lambert

flambert@valenciavoice.com

The Pittsburg Penguins statistically dominated the New York Islanders in their Tuesday night home game, but still lost the match at 5 to 3.

New York finished the first period with a two-nothing lead, which the Penguins matched in the second period after Pascal Dupuis deflected a shot off of Tyler Kennedy’s stick and James Neal scored at 4:10 in.

This rapid catch-up was not enough to gain an advantage. The Islanders seized the lead again when Kyle Okposo snatched up the puck after a bad pass by Pittsburg that bounced off of the siding, rocketing it past Penguin goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

Pittsburg never regained the initiative, despite 32 shots on goal by the end of the second, compared to New York’s 18.

“They’ve got a lot of offensive firepower,” said New York’s Dylan Reese about the Penguin’s hustle.

New York scored their final two goals in the second after David Ullstrom hit the puck in during a power play and Frans Neilsen knocked Fleury’s helmet off getting the Islander’s fifth point.

The Penguin’s scored a third point in the third period and made 22 shots over New York’s 7, but the superior effort didn’t help.

“With the momentum these guys have right now and how well they’ve been playing,” said Reese of the Penguins in between the second and third periods, “it’s important for us to establish ourselves as a franchise that can compete every night.”