Nov 26, 2008 - 6:16 AM
0 shoutsPittsburgh (12-5-3) at NY Islanders (9-10-2), 7:00 pm EST
UNIONDALE, New York (Ticker) -- Joey MacDonald has made the New York Islanders' time without starting goaltender Rick DiPietro a bit easier. The same cannot be said of fellow backup Dany Sabourin and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Seeking more relief from their respective reserve netminders, the Islanders and Penguins faceoff in a matchup of Atlantic Division rivals on Wednesday.
The Islanders have won consecutive games and five of six, while MacDonald has yielded two or fewer goals in five of those contests. The 28-year-old has started 11 straight and is 8-7-2 with a 2.78 goals-against average in 17 games overall this season.
Meanwhile, Sabourin has started three straight games in the wake of Marc-Andre Fleury's undisclosed injury and the Penguins have dropped two. He has surrendered six goals in that span but the Penguins' potent offense has been silenced, netting just five.
In an effort to boost a struggling power play, Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien put Evgeni Malkin back on the right point with Alex Goligoski on the left, Sidney Crosby on the half-wall, Miroslav Satan down low and new addition Tyler Kennedy in front, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
Such a move was made to propel a power play that has converted just 9 of its past 59 chances.
The Islanders, meanwhile, have succeeded with their special teams and are second in the NHL in shorthanded goals (five), while the Penguins are third-last in short-handed goals allowed (five).
From the Bleachers
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PITTSBURGH: 5
NEW YORK: 3
Final
Nov 26 9:40 PM -
NHL
PITTSBURGH 5
NY ISLANDERS 3
3RD PRD: PIT - (EN) EVGENI MALKIN 10 (ROB SCUDERI) 19:42
Nov 26 9:39 PM -
NHL
PITTSBURGH 4
NY ISLANDERS 3
3RD PRD: PIT - EVGENI MALKIN 9 (SIDNEY CROSBY) 11:53
Nov 26 9:24 PM -
NHL
PITTSBURGH 3
NY ISLANDERS 3
3RD PRD: PIT - EVGENI MALKIN 8 (SIDNEY CROSBY, BROOKS ORPIK) 11:03
Nov 26 9:23 PM -
NHL
PITTSBURGH 2
NY ISLANDERS 3
3RD PRD: PIT - SIDNEY CROSBY 8 (EVGENI MALKIN, KRISTOPHER LETANG) 6:18
Nov 26 9:10 PM -
PITTSBURGH: 1
NEW YORK: 3
End of 2nd
Nov 26 8:41 PM -
NHL
PITTSBURGH 1
NY ISLANDERS 3
2ND PRD: PIT - BROOKS ORPIK 2 (PASCAL DUPUIS) 19:41
Nov 26 8:40 PM -
NHL
PITTSBURGH 0
NY ISLANDERS 3
2ND PRD: NYI - (PP) BILL GUERIN 9 (JOSH BAILEY, MARK STREIT) 9:27
Nov 26 8:23 PM -
PITTSBURGH: 0
NEW YORK: 2
End of 1st
Nov 26 7:48 PM -
NHL
PITTSBURGH 0
NY ISLANDERS 2
1ST PRD: NYI - TRENT HUNTER 9 (ANDY HILBERT, JOSH BAILEY) 8:55
Nov 26 7:28 PM -
NHL
PITTSBURGH 0
NY ISLANDERS 1
1ST PRD: NYI - DOUG WEIGHT 5 (JOSH BAILEY, TRENT HUNTER) 7:45
Nov 26 7:26 PM
