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Kennedy's goal helps Penguins snap two-game skid

Dec 16, 2007 - 4:42 AM By Doug Mittler PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

UNIONDALE, New York (Ticker) -- On a night when Sidney Crosby ended a scoring drought, the Pittsburgh Penguins received an even bigger offensive boost from rookie Tyler Kennedy.

Crosby scored for the first time in eight games and Kennedy added a goal and two assists as the Penguins edged the New York Islanders, 3-2, on Saturday in a game that included an ugly penalty by Chris Simon.

Defenseman Ryan Whitney also scored for the Penguins, who won for the fifth time in seven games.

Richard Park and Josef Vasicek tallied 45 seconds apart in the middle session for the Islanders, who failed to win back-to-back games for the first time since mid-November and lost for the seventh time in nine contests.

The Penguins dominated the first period but suffered a letdown early in the second before going ahead for good on a power-play goal by Kennedy.

Dany Sabourin, again starting for the injured Marc-Andre Fleury, stopped 27 shots to help Pittsburgh move ahead of New York and out of last place in the Atlantic Division.

Mike Sillinger had a chance to knot the contest late in the third but shot the puck over the net on a shorthanded breakaway with three minutes left.

"I made the move I wanted," Sillinger said. "I kind of waited (Sabourin) out a little. I tried to go upstairs, and the puck rolled the last second and I shot it over the net."

New York was shorthanded as a result of a match penalty on Simon, who was called for attempting to injure Jarkko Ruutu with five minutes left in the game.

Simon, who received a 25-game suspension last season for whacking Ryan Hollweg of the New York Rangers in the face with his stick, likely is in line for another lengthy ban after hooking Ruutu near the bench and stepping on him with his skate.

"It was a bad time for a penalty," Islanders coach Ted Nolan said. "To tell you the truth, I didn't have the time to look at it and see the severity of it. We'll look at it and probably make a comment on it (Sunday)."

Simon did not speak following the contest, and the Penguins did their best to avoid the subject.

"I didn't see it well," Therrien said.

Kennedy scored on the man advantage at 14:16 of the second, batting home the rebound of Jordan Staal's shot from just outside the crease to make it 3-2.

"I just sat on the back side waiting for it, and it came right out to me," Kennedy said. "The goal helped because it put us back on top, but I thought the second and third periods, it was pretty much back and forth."

A fourth-round pick in 2004, Kennedy has six goals in 19 NHL games.

"He's playing great, that kid," Pittsburgh coach Michel Therrien said. "I didn't want to put him right away with Crosby, but we did it on the second or third shift. He played a (heck) of a game."

The rookie's first career tally also came against the Islanders on November 3.

Kennedy's goal came after Crosby and New York defenseman Brendan Witt got into a shoving match. Several other players joined the scrum, but it was the Islanders who received an extra penalty, prompting Witt to claim Crosby receives special treatment from the officials.

"For him to come out of there with nothing, it doesn't surprise me," Witt said. "It's one of those things. He's going to get a lot of calls that way. There are no liberties on special guys. I disagree with that call."

A defensive miscue led to the first goal of the game.

New York defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron's attempted pass from behind the net hit the side of the goal. Netminder Rick DiPietro was unable to clear the puck after it caromed in front, and Crosby banged it in at 2:48 for his 15th goal of the season.

"That might be the easiest one I get this year," Crosby said. "It feels good. You never take anything for granted."

Crosby, who tied a career high with nine shots Thursday against Ottawa, scored for the first time since November 30 against Dallas.

The Penguins continued to apply the pressure in the first half of the period and had an early 9-1 edge in shots.

Whitney had a shot hit the goalpost before he eventually scored on a wrister from the right faceoff circle that went past a screened DiPietro at 6:35.

The Islanders responded with a pair of quick goals early in the second.

Park scored on the power play at 4:57, burying the rebound of a shot by Mike Comrie. Vasicek tied it at 5:42, converting a return pass from Miroslav Satan on a nice give-and-go.