The New York Islanders know the task at hand is to make sure the season isn’t lost by the time their injured stars return.
The Islanders aim to emerge from a slump Tuesday night when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins in a battle of longtime Metropolitan Division rivals.
The Islanders were off Monday after falling to the host New York Rangers 5-2 on Sunday afternoon. The Penguins concluded a three-game homestand Saturday night, when they earned a 3-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens.
Sunday’s loss was the fourth in the last five games for the undermanned Islanders, whose 10 points are the fourth-fewest in the Eastern Conference. The Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers all have nine points.
Despite the defeat, the Islanders were encouraged when they were outshot 40-37 by the first-place Rangers and nearly tied the game at 3-3 early in the third. Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin sprawled to deflect Bo Horvat’s shot into an open corner of the net.
“We played a good game, well enough to win,” Islanders coach Patrick Roy said. “The play of that game is the save of their goalie on Horvat. If we score there, it would make it a 3-3 game and it gives us momentum.”
But the Islanders also received reminders of their minimal margin for error with first-liners Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair and defenseman Adam Pelech all on injured reserve. Defensemen Mike Reilly and Alexander Romanov are also sidelined with upper-body injuries.
The Islanders were 0-for-5 on the power play Sunday while allowing a short-handed goal and a power play goal.
“Special teams is such a big thing in this league and they get a power play goal and we don’t,” Horvat said. “At the end of the day, it makes a difference every game.”
The Penguins are hopeful they have started to emerge from an early-season hole. The win over the Canadiens was the second straight following a six-game losing streak as they led wire-to-wire Saturday for the first time this season.
The Penguins have allowed one goal in each of the last two games – the first time they’ve allowed two goals or fewer over a two-game stretch since Jan. 27-Feb. 6, when Pittsburgh followed a 3-2 overtime win over the Canadiens with a 3-0 victory against the Winnipeg Jets.
“Sometimes when you’re pressing you end up guessing or hesitating and forcing things,” Penguins center Sidney Crosby said. “It ends up snowballing a bit. I think just getting back to being good positionally, just fundamental stuff and then trusting that chances will come
“I think all that combined with just the way we’re playing as a group, we’re defending better. And it’s way more fun to play that way.”
Crosby’s enjoyment has been enhanced by back-to-back two-goal games. The superstar center, who didn’t score during the Penguins’ losing streak, is three goals shy of becoming the 21st NHL player to reach 600 goals.
“When you have a Crosby on the ice, everybody kind of focuses on him,” longtime teammate Kris Letang said. “It opens so many other guys.”
