Letang scores in OT, Penguins defeat Islanders

Kris Letang scored his second goal with 26 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Pittsburgh Penguins a 4-3 win against the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York on Saturday.

Letang sent a wrist shot off the stick blade of New York center Jean-Gabriel Pageau and it went in blocker side. Each of Letang's four goals this season have been against the Islanders. He has scored seven points (four goals, three assists) during a four-game point streak.
"They're all big, those games against this team," Letang said. "They're going to be a team we're going to battle until the end of the season to get in the playoffs. … We know they're a really good defensive team and they wait for mistakes, so we try to limit those and try to find success that way."
Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist, and Tristan Jarry made 24 saves in his seventh straight start for the Penguins (11-7-1), who have won four of their past five games. They are 4-1 in overtime and have won seven of eight games that have gone past regulation.
"At the end of the day, our players are getting the job done," Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan said.

Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist, and Semyon Varlamov made 27 saves for the Islanders (10-6-4), who are the only NHL team without a regulation loss at home (6-0-2). They won their previous two games after being swept in a two-game set at Pittsburgh on Feb. 18 and 20.
The teams play again at New York on Sunday.
"I don't know if there's frustration; we've just got to keep going," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "You never know how the game turns. We had opportunities in the second to pull away a little bit and we weren't able to, so you just stick with it. You just collect points, and at the end of the day, you hope you have enough. That's plain and simple. We can't dwell on it too much."
Jared McCann, who returned after missing seven games with a lower-body injury, tied it 3-3 with a one-timer set up by Evgeni Malkin on a 2-on-1 18 seconds into the third period.

Josh Bailey ended a 10-game goal drought with a one-timer from the slot to give New York a 3-2 lead at 14:51 of the second period. It was Bailey's second goal of the season, first since Jan. 31.
"It felt good; obviously, it had been a little while since I shot one in the net," Bailey said. "It felt good. It was a good all-around play. Just found a way to get one point, a little disappointed in the result. But the beauty of this league is we're going to get a chance coming real quick at 5 o'clock tomorrow night to redeem ourselves."
Crosby and Letang scored 26 seconds apart after Nelson put the Islanders ahead 1-0 at 18:40 of the first period, and Mathew Barzal made it 2-0 at 1:34 of the second. Nelson redirected a pass from Oliver Wahlstrom to score in a third straight game against the Penguins, and a wrist shot from Barzal went off Penguins defenseman John Marino's stick and in glove side.
"We played a pretty good game," Nelson said. "Start of the second and start of the third, they get three goals in the first couple minutes of each period. … [We] would like to come away with two points."

Crosby cut it to 2-1 at 2:17 with a slap shot after Varlamov fell in the crease on a power play. Letang tied it 2-2 on a one-timer set up by Kasperi Kapanen at 2:43.
"We rely on [Letang] so much and in so many different aspects of the game," Sullivan said. "He plays the most minutes on our team by nature of being our No. 1 defenseman. … He's just such an important player for us. He has the ability to be an impact guy."
NOTES: Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck was a game-time decision but did not play after he missed the final two periods of a 7-2 win against the Boston Bruins on Thursday. … New York forward Michael Dal Colle returned after missing four games with an undisclosed injury and had two hits in 10:00 of ice time. … The Penguins have not won in regulation in 11 road games this season (4-6-1). Their most recent regulation victory away from home was at the New Jersey Devils on March 10, 2020. … Pittsburgh forward Mark Jankowski did not play because of an upper-body injury. He is day to day.