PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Instead of what appeared at time to be a devastating loss following a bad game against Dallas turned into an epic turnaround of six straight goals in an 8-3 Pens win at the Islanders.
The Pens 37th win moved them a point ahead of New York for second place in the Metropolitan Division.
It just got wild
After an uneventful, 0-0 first period, the Pens carried a power play over into the second. It was a sloppy extra man and eventually led to the Pens taking a penalty trying to stop a short-handed opportunity. The Islanders would score on that power play and 1:29 add a second, it’s 2-0 New York.
Pens got on the board on Elmer Soderblom’s second as a Penguin just working hard in front. As the Pens got back in the game, Isles Brayden Schenn answered and it’s 3-1. New York is buzzing and thoughts of another loss on Long Island is front of mind.
Islanders on the power play when Rickard Rakell scored a short-handed goal at 11:01 on assists from Bryan Rust and Parker Wotherspoon. Sidney Crosby returned after missing Saturday, works for a puck to Anthony Mantha and out to Ryan Shea, the defenseman scored it’s 3-3.
A minute, six seconds later, Anthony Mantha’s backhand five-hole improbably gives the Pens the lead. It was the free agent steal striking again (1-year, $2.5 million), Mantha’s 29th goal of the season and second of the game on a wraparound backhand would lead to the worst period by Ilya Sorokin since 2023, also against the Pens. Justin Brazeau and Wotherspoon each had a pair of assists in the second period.
Avery Hayes, who scored a pair in his NHL debut, buried one off a Ben Kindel rebound at 6:06 to put the Pens, once down 3-1, up 6-3. Oh, and they weren’t done, Rakell gathered a Brazeau shot and ended Sorokin’s night with the Pens up 7-3. Bryan Rust dropped the first shot on the new goalie, 8-3.
Metropolitan Standings
- Carolina 98 points, 9 to play
- PENS 90 points, 8 to play
- Islanders 89 points, 7 to play
- Columbus 88 points, 8 to play
- Philadelphia 86 points, 9 to play
- Washington 83 points, 8 to play
Notes
- Pens win the season series 2-1
- Justin Brazeau 3 assists, +3
- Anthony Mantha +4
- 2 assists-Crosby, Wotherspoon, Kris Letang
- Pens also scored 7 goals earlier this month in a 7-2 win at Colorado
- The 8 goals are the most by the Pens since scoring 9 against Montreal on December 12, 2024
Up Next
Pens host the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday night at 7p before playing at Tampa Bay on Thursday and back-to-back home games with Florida this weekend.
Anthony Mantha & Rickard Rakell each with 2 goals
