Rapid Recap: Penguins 6, Islanders 3

The New York Islanders fell 6-3 to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night, splitting the home-and-home series at one apiece.
Zach Parise got the Islanders on the board in the second period, while Anders Lee and Zdeno Chara scored in a late push, but it wasn't enough to topple Pittsburgh's offense. Jake Guentzel (2G, 2A), Sidney Crosby (1G, 2A), Kris Letang, Danton Heinen and Brock McGinn all put up goals for Pittsburgh in the win.
With the win, the Penguins clinched a spot in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs for a 16th-straight season.
The Islanders outshot the Penguins 39-28 in the loss, as Ilya Sorokin stopped 22 of 26 Penguins shots. Tristan Jarry picked up his first win since March 27 in his 150th career start in the NHL.

Video: NYI Recap: Chara scores 1st as Islander since 2001

THE SCORING:

1st Period:
4:59 - PIT 1, NYI 0 - Kris Letang opens the scoring and sneaks one past Sorokin off a long pass from Jake Guentzel. Sidney Crosby tallied the secondary assist. Sorokin was screened on the play.
8:52 - PIT 2, NYI 0 - After killing off a penalty, Brian Boyle puts the puck on the stick of Danton Heinen, who skated right out of the penalty box and into a breakaway before beating Sorokin five-hole.
2nd Period:
5:51 - PIT 2, NYI 1 - Mat Barzal rushes down the ice into the Penguins' zone, fakes the shot, freezes Tristan Jarry, and finds Zach Parise who shoots it right off the pass to get the Islanders back within a goal.
12:10 - PIT 3, NYI 1 - Jake Guentzel sneaks one past Sorokin off a feed from Sidney Crosby to regain a two-goal lead for Pittsburgh.
3rd Period:
10:44 - PIT 4, NYI 1 - The Crosby-Guentzel duo strikes again, this time with Crosby sneaking one past Sorokin to extend the Penguins lead. The play was on a 2-on-0 during an Islanders shift change.
17:23 - PIT 4, NYI 2- Anders Lee tapped one past Tristan Jarry in front of the net off a wraparound feed from Brock Nelson.
17:59 -PIT 5, NYI 2 - Brock McGuinn buries an empty netter as an insurance goal for the Penguins. Jeff Carter and Teddy Blueger tallied the assists.
18:52 - PIT 5, NYI 3 - Zdeno Chara blasts one right off the faceoff for his first goal of the season. Nelson picked up his second assist of the night on the play.
19:50 - PIT 6, NYI 3 - Guentzel seals the deal with an empty netter, his second consecutive two-goal performance.

NOTEBOOK:

Zach Parise scores his third goal in two games with his 14th goal of the season… The Islanders outshot the Penguins 19-5 in the second period… Kieffer Bellows played his first game since March 31 after coming in for Oliver Wahlstrom… Anders Lee snapped a nine-game goal drought with his 26th of the season… Ryan Pulock recorded a team-high 11 shot attempts on the night… Zdeno Chara scores his first goal as an Islander since January 12, 2001… JG Pageau went 15-for-12 (56%) in the faceoff circle… Guentzel's four-point night was his second of the season… Crosby's three-point performance for the seventh time this season.

GOALTENDING MATCHUP:

Ilya Sorokin stopped 22-of-26 in the loss with Pittsburgh scoring two empty-net goals.
Tristan Jarry stopped 36-of-39 in the win.

SPECIAL TEAMS:

The Islanders power play went 0-for-5 while their penalty kill went 2-for-2.

IMAGE OF THE GAME:

HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT:

NEXT GAME:

The Islanders travel up north to face the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre on Friday, completing the second half of a back-to-back set. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. eastern.