NHL Roundup : Three Times, Islanders Catch Penguins Short-Handed, Win, 5-1

For 10 years, Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy have worked together on the New York Islanders’ power play. It is not surprising that the Islanders are the best in the NHL at scoring when they have a player advantage.

Tuesday night, the Islanders scored three times on the power play to maintain their mastery over the improved Pittsburgh Penguins with a 5-1 victory at Uniondale, N.Y.

It was the 10th win in a row at home for the Islanders over the Penguins, who have won only two of their last 21 at Nassau Coliseum.

The Penguins are the most-improved team in the league this season but, in their first meeting with the Islanders, they had problems.

They didn’t solve goaltender Kelly Hrudey until halfway through the final period when Kevin LaVallee took a pass from Mario Lemieux to score on a power play.

But it was when they were short-handed that the Penguins’ problems multiplied. The smooth passing of Trottier, Bossy and other members of the power-play unit befuddled the Penguins. Only superlative goaltending by Gilles Meloche kept the Islanders from scoring more often or at least faster on the power plays.

They scored on three of the first four. Pat LaFontaine scored the first; then, in the second period, Brent Sutter and Trottier scored on power plays.

Quebec 2, Montreal 1--Clint Malarchuk gave up a goal in the first minute of the second period at Quebec, then stopped the Canadiens the rest of the way.

The Nordiques got their goals just 61 seconds apart in the second period. Alain Cote scored on a pass from behind the goal by Mark Kumpel at 13:13, and shortly thereafter, Anton Stastny scored.