ELMONT, N.Y. — The Penguins on Friday got an opportunity to leave the pesky New York Islanders in their dust in the Eastern Conference wild-card race.
Thanks to a pair of goals from Rickard Rakell, they twice led by two in the second period, only to allow the Islanders to rally back to tie it up during the third.
Zach Parise’s late goal completed the Penguins’ collapse at UBS Arena. They left here stunned after a 5-4 loss that could have major ramifications in April.
The Penguins now lead the Islanders by one point in the standings. However, the Penguins have played four fewer games. In terms of playoff odds, they still have a significant cushion over the Islanders. But this was a brutal loss.
The Penguins in the first five minutes Friday showed more fire and focus than they did in the entirety of their last game in this building, a 5-1 defeat on Dec. 27. Their top players pushed the pace. Their defensemen were actively pinching up the walls in the offensive zone. Then Sidney Crosby gave them a lead.
Pittsburgh’s captain spotted a loose puck sitting underneath New York goalie Ilya Sorokin, his All-Star teammate, and swept it in for his 25th goal of the season. This is the 13th time in his 18 seasons in which he’s netted at least 25.
The Islanders pulled back even less than two minutes later, after a cringeworthy turnover by Marcus Pettersson and a fluky finish by Anders Lee. Casey DeSmith sprawled to stop Lee’s initial try. But as DeSmith lay on his back atop the crease, Lee saw the puck sitting on his torso and flicked it into the net.
The Penguins, after another surge to start the second period, should have coasted to a win from there. They controlled the action in the first 10 minutes as they built a two-goal lead, only to let the Islanders linger with familiar letdowns.
Rakell’s perfectly placed redirect off the rush made it 2-1 early in the period. Jason Zucker scored 1:42 later, tipping Pierre-Oliver Joseph’s shot past Sorokin.
The Long Island crowd, rowdy per usual, could sense Zucker’s goal coming. Boos rained down as the Penguins possessed the puck in the offensive zone for more than a minute. One exasperated Islanders fan loudly blurted out, “You guys suck!” Seconds later, Zucker was celebrating his first goal since Jan. 20.
The Penguins were outshooting their hosts, 30-9, when the Islanders made a push midway through the second. Bo Horvat somehow steered his tap-in try over the crossbar. Moments later, Nelson beat DeSmith on a wraparound.
DeSmith, starting his career-high eighth straight game, needed to stuff that one. Instead, the first of Nelson’s two goals gave the veteran Islanders life.
Rakell restored the lead to two with his second goal of the game, Crosby setting him up with a slick assist. But the Penguins allowed another rapid response goal, a problem that keeps popping up over these turbulent last two months.
Mathew Barzal brushed off Jeff Carter as he twirled out of the corner. His shot hit Lee and trickled over the line, making it 4-3 in the period’s final minute.
The troublesome third line of Carter and his wingers, Brock McGinn and Kasperi Kapanen, were on the ice for both of New York’s goals in the second.
The Islanders tied it up 5:01 into the third period on Nelson’s power-play blast. The roaring UBS Arena crowd had reconsidered its earlier position on the Islanders as Joseph, who had a two-point night, exited the penalty box in shame.
Parise, playing in his 1,200th game, scored the winner with 2:43 remaining.
ICE CHIPS
— Tristan Jarry skated Friday morning on Long Island but sat out his eighth straight game. Coach Mike Sullivan said Jarry is getting “much closer to a return” and that the Penguins are “encouraged” with where he is in the recovery process. Sullivan also didn’t rule out Jarry for Saturday’s game against New Jersey.
— Jan Rutta, Mark Friedman and Ryan Poehling were also unavailable Friday due to their injuries. Rutta has not played since their Jan. 14 loss at Carolina.
— Jason Zucker skated in his 600th game. It was his 144th with the Penguins.
— McGinn missed a few shifts in the first period after he was hit by a shot in the area of his neck and collarbone. He returned but was unable to notch a point for his 21st consecutive game. The winger’s last appearance on a score sheet was a short-handed goal in the Dec. 22 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
COMING UP
The Penguins will be back at it Saturday at 5:30 p.m., when they host the Devils at PPG Paints Arena. These Islanders will visit Pittsburgh two nights later.
