The pivotal stretch of Friday's game came in the second period, as the Penguins scored a pair of quick goals to take a 2-0 lead. Sprong finished a two-on-one with Crosby to open the scoring 41 seconds into the middle frame, while Evgeni Malkin and the Penguins top-rated power play cashed in at 3:30.
Crosby banked a shot off Jaroslav Halak from a sharp angle to make it 3-0 at 15:50 while Sprong's second came at 13:28 of the third. On a night where the Islanders had limited offensive chances, that hole proved too deep to climb out of.
"They just buzzed us in the second," Anders Lee said. "They were able to take that lead and played shutdown in the third period. We've found ourselves behind too often of late."
The Islanders' best chance to get back in the game came on a 1:17 two-man advantage at the end of the second period, but the Isles managed a pair of shots and no goals on the five-on-three.
"Definitely a missed opportunity," Lee said. "We had a couple good looks, but with a 1:20 on a five-on-three you want to make sure you get at least one."
After the game the Islanders were asked what it'll take to snap the five-game streak.
"We get out of it by sticking together and trusting one another," Lee said. "We have to regroup and figure it out. We've been saying this the last four nights, but it's frustrating. We have to figure it out now."
The Islanders have one more game before their bye week, hosting the New Jersey Devils on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.
ISLES RAISE $34K ON DIFD NIGHT:
The Islanders hosted DIFD night on Friday, raising money and awareness for youth mental health. The Islanders raised $34,296, including a $25,000 donation from the Islanders players and coaches. DIFD (Do It For Daron) is a mental health initiative started by Islanders Assistant Coach Luke Richardson and his wife Stephanie in honor of their 14-year-old daughter Daron took her own life in 2010.
Click here to learn more about DIFD.