PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins are going the place the Islanders aren’t.
Jake Guentzel scored twice, Sidney Crosby additionally had a aim and the Penguins earned a playoff berth for the sixteenth straight season with a 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday evening.
“You count on it,” Penguins defenseman Kris Letang stated. “The possession, yearly they attempt to make the very best group as doable on the ice and it’s our obligation to get us within the playoffs, as gamers.”
Guentzel scored his thirty sixth and thirty seventh targets and Crosby his twenty ninth because the Penguins prolonged the longest energetic postseason streak amongst groups in main North American skilled sports activities.
“Yearly is a problem,” Crosby stated. “You want so many issues to go proper to present your self a chance to play within the playoffs. It’s not given to you. It’s not simple. You respect these alternatives and all people works onerous to present us an opportunity to do this.”
Danton Heinen equaled a profession excessive along with his sixteenth aim, whereas Letang and Brock McGinn additionally scored for Pittsburgh, which tied Calgary for the seventh-longest playoff streak within the NHL since 1967. Tristan Jarry made 36 saves for the Penguins, who've gained two of three total. Pittsburgh has 11 wins and factors in 15 of its final 17 in opposition to the Islanders.
Zach Parise, Anders Lee and Zdeno Chara scored for the Islanders, who've misplaced three of their final 5 following a four-game successful streak. Ilya Sorokin stopped 22 photographs.
“It is a group you'll be able to’t commerce probabilities with,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz stated. “It's important to execute. While you don’t, they'll soar on you, and so they do.”
Pittsburgh scored twice within the first 9 minutes of the sport for an early lead. Letang beat Sorokin at 4:59 with a wrist shot from the left level and Heinen scored on a breakaway at 8:52.
Heinen simply left the penalty field after a slashing name when he took a lead move from Brian Boyle and beat Sorokin with a shot between the legs. Heinen has factors in seven of 10 profession video games in opposition to the Islanders. Boyle has factors in 9 of his final 10 dwelling video games and Teddy Blueger established a profession excessive in factors with a secondary help.
Parise reduce the deficit in half at 5:51 of the second interval. He took a move from Mathew Barzal off the frenzy and despatched a shot behind Jarry to place the Islanders on the board.
Guentzel regained Pittsburgh’s two-goal lead at 12:10 of the second. Guentzel, on a two-on-one, took a move from Crosby and beat Sorokin with a blocker-side wrist shot.
Crosby and Guentzel mixed for Pittsburgh’s fourth aim at 10:44 of the third interval, following New York’s neutral-zone turnover. There was a slick passing sequence between the 2 on a two-on-none earlier than Crosby completed it off with a slap shot from in shut, cementing Pittsburgh’s return to the playoffs.
“It’s onerous to make the playoffs,” Sullivan stated. “There’s plenty of good groups each season that don’t make it. The truth that this group has accomplished it 16 consecutive years is a exceptional achievement.”
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