Penguins/Islanders Highlights: Pittsburgh stumbles out of the break

The Pens lose on Long Island

Holiday exploits mean little insights again today, but here are the highlights of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 6-3 loss on Saturday night to the New York Islanders.

Anders Lee and Casey Cizikas tallied two goals a piece for the Islanders, who jumped out to a 4-1 lead by mid-way through the game. The Pens made a mini-rally to get the game back to a 4-3 score by the end of the second period, but fell flat in the third period with efforts to get anything positive out of their trip to Long Island.

This was a game where having zero competent left handed defensemen bit Pittsburgh, and the choppy sails for Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang couldn’t overcome a lack of support. P.O. Joseph was a whisker away from hitting the waiver wire in St. Louis and is now playing 20 minutes with the Pens out of necessity. It’s not a pretty sight.

The two teams will rematch tomorrow night in Pittsburgh, giving the Pens a chance for instant redemption.