PITTSBURGH _ The Islanders now have a comeback streak as well as matching the franchise record for gaining at least a point in 15 consecutive games.
This time, the Islanders battled back from a two-goal deficit in the third period to beat the Penguins, 5-4, in overtime Tuesday night at PPG Paints Arena. The two-game road trip opened with a 4-3 shootout win at Philadelphia on Saturday night when the Islanders rallied from a three-goal deficit in the third period.
The Islanders (15-3-1) improved their points streak to 14-0-1.
Brock Nelson, with his second goal of the game, followed his shot at the crease for the overtime winner at 2:55.
The teams meet again on Thursday night at Barclays Center.
The Penguins snapped the Islanders' 10-game winning streak with a 4-3 overtime win in Brooklyn on Nov. 7, rallying from a three-goal deficit in the third period. But the Islanders still have not lost in regulation since a 5-2 defeat at Carolina on Oct. 11.
A little further back, the Islanders had their franchise-record 15-game winning streak from Jan. 21 to Feb. 20, 1982 snapped with the Penguins' 4-3 win on Feb. 21, 1982.
Penguins goalie Matt Murray (37 saves) was the hard-luck loser after outplaying Semyon Varlamov, who stopped 27 shots and was also in net in the Penguins' win at Barclays Center.
The Penguins (11-7-3) were playing their third game without Sidney Crosby, who is out for a minimum of six weeks after undergoing core muscle surgery.
Jake Guentzel's power-play goal at 2:39 of the third period made it 4-2 just 24 seconds after Mathew Barzal inadvisedly tripped Joseph Blandisi behind the Islanders' crease. Coach Barry Trotz skipped Barzal for one shift after he exited the penalty box.
But Josh Bailey connected from the doorstep at 15:41 to bring the Islanders within 4-3. And defenseman Ryan Pulock blasted a slap shot past Murray at 18:28 for the equalizer with the Islanders skating six on five with Varlamov off for an extra skater, preserving the points streak.
Anthony Beauvillier, with his fifth goal in three games, had snapped a shot over Murray's glove from the left circle to bring the Islanders within 2-1 at 2:39 of the second period and Nelson, tipping defenseman Nick Leddy's point shot, tied it at 2-2 at 5:30.
But Varlamov was slow to his left and Brandon Tanev, with his second goal, knocked in a wraparound attempt off defenseman Adam Pelech's skate to regain a 3-2 lead for the Penguins at 14:31 of the second period.
The Islanders trailed 2-0 after one period for the second straight game. Bryan Rust, whose second goal was the winner in the Penguins' overtime victory earlier this month at Brooklyn, beat Varlamov with a wrist shot from just inside the left circle for a power-play goal at 11:34. Tanev, getting to the crease to deflect defenseman John Marino's shot from the right point, made it 2-0 at 16:18.
Trotz kept it from being a three-goal deficit as he successfully challenged that Rust was offside on Zach Aston-Reese's apparent shorthanded goal at 6:39.
Nelson, playing in his 499th game, survived a scary moment at 8:56 of the first period when Pulock's slap shot from the left point hit the top of his helmet as he tried to set a screen. A piece broke off Nelson's helmet but he was not forced from the game even though he remained down on the ice for a brief spell after getting hit with the shot.
It was also Casey Cizikas' 500th game as an Islander.
