Casey Cizikas (2G), Anders Lee (2G), JG Pageau, Anthony Duclair scored for the Islanders in a game that tied a season-high six goals, while Ilya Sorokin made 22 saves in his career-long 12 th consecutive start. Michael Bunting, Noel Acciari, Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins while Tristan Jarry made 28 saves in the loss.

NEW YORK (AP) — Casey Cizikas and Anders Lee each scored twice and the New York Islanders beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 on Saturday night. Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anthony Duclair also scored, and Mathew Barzal and Alexander Romanov each had two assists for New York, which had lost three of four. Ilya Sorokin finished with 22 saves.

Nobody said it outright in the lead up to the first of a back-to-back, home-and-home matchup with the Penguins on Saturday, but winning this set of games — or at least avoiding a sweep — was as essential a task as the Islanders have faced all season.