PITTSBURGH _ The Islanders pushed the Penguins to the brink of elimination with a 4-1 win in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena.
And for the third straight game, the Islanders played the more structured defensive game and got the stronger goaltending performance from Robin Lehner (25 saves).
The Islanders, up 3-0, have not swept a best-of-seven series since the 1983 Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers.
Matt Murray made 32 saves for the Penguins while Sidney Crosby was held without a point for the third straight game.
Game 4 is Tuesday night at Pittsburgh. Game 5, if necessary, is Thursday night back at NYCB Live's Nassau Coliseum. An Islanders' sweep would mean the Islanders have played their last game at the Coliseum this season, with all subsequent playoff rounds being played at Barclays Center.
The Penguins scored the first goal for the second straight game, this time Garrett Wilson tipping defenseman Marcus Pettersson's blue-line shot at 12:54 of the first period.
But it was also the second straight game the Islanders scored the next three and, this time, they took the lead within 90 seconds.
Jordan Eberle, with his third goal in three games this series, beat Matt Murray to the short side with a sharp-angle shot from the left to tie it at 1 at 13:22.
Brock Nelson kept the puck on a two-on-one rush with Josh Bailey and beat Murray at 14:24 for a 2-1 lead at after defenseman Jack Johnson gave him way too much shooting space.
The Islanders could not add to their lead in the second period despite a 53-second, five-on-three power play after Johnson was called for holding captain Anders Lee's stick at 12:20, their second unsuccessful two-man advantage in two games. Defenseman Ryan Pulock did rocket a shot off Murray's shoulder that then deflected off the crossbar.
Anthony Beauvillier also missed a look at an open net at 2:24 of the second period off Mathew Barzal's two-on-one feed.
But Leo Komarov, from below the right circle, gave the Islanders a 3-1 lead at 10:27 of the third period and Lee added an empty-netter at 18:32.
