Shea-ved Ice: Penguins Vs. Islanders Preview
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (KDKA) – The Pittsburgh Penguins will be looking to extend their winning streak to four games when they take on the New York Islanders Tuesday night on the road.
Pittsburgh is coming off a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils Saturday night. Jordan Staal played his best game of the season by far. He scored two goals and was making great plays all over the ice.
James Neal kept up his scoring ways by digging a puck out of the corner and roofing it over Johan Hedberg for his eighth of the season.
For the Islanders, they have lost two straight, with the most recent being a 4-2 decision against the Florida Panthers on Saturday.
The situation in goal for the Islanders continues to make headlines. Last season, the Detroit Red Wings signed Evgeni Nabokov, but in order for him to join the club he had to clear waivers.
He didn't clear because the Islanders put a claim in on him. Nabokov refused to report to the team and did not suit up.
This season, Rick DiPietro suffered a concussion from a shot in practice and has not appeared in a game.
Now, the goaltending duties are being shared by Nabokov (1-1, 2.53 GAA, .921 save percentage) and Al Montoya (2-2, 2.01 GAA, .930 save percentage).
On offense, it should come as no surprise that John Tavares is leading the way with 10 points (6 goals, 4 assists). PA Parenteau is second on the team in points with eight (1 goal, 7 assists).
Mark Streit leads all Islanders' defenseman with one goal and five assists. His six points rank him third on the team.
After those three guys, the production totals drop off. Of note, Kyle Okposo only has one assist in six games this season.
As a team, the Islanders have only scored a total of 14 goals this season. In addition, they have only scored more than two goals in a game on two occasions. One was a 4-2 win over the Rangers and the other was a 5-1 win over Tampa Bay.
According to the Penguins' official website, Pittsburgh holds a 15-2-2 record against the Islanders in their last 19 meetings. That record includes a 5-2-2 record on Long Island.
The Penguins got a mixed bag of news on Monday. Zbynek Michalek will miss four to six weeks with a broken finger, but Evgeni Malkin made the trip to New York. His status for tonight's game is up in the air, but Dan Bylsma would not rule him out on Monday.
Marc-Andre Fleury (5-2, 2.13 GAA, .926 save percentage) allowed one goal on 24 shots in the win over the Devils. Granted, the goal was scored by a man who should have been in the penalty box, but it didn't matter in the end.
Against the Islanders, Fleury holds a 13-4-1-3 record with a 2.48 GAA and .920 save percentage. He has also shut them out twice.
The puck is set to drop at 7 p.m. and you can watch the game on Root Sports.
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