ELMONT, N.Y. — It didn’t matter the makeshift Islanders played a much better game with a hard-working effort. Their struggles to score continued, as did their losing streak.
It’s eight straight now after the Penguins won, 1-0, on Friday night to conclude an opening, four-game homestand at UBS Arena. The last-place Islanders (5-10-2) were blanked for the third time in seven games and have just nine goals in their last nine games.
Ilya Sorokin, forced to be sharp from the opening faceoff, made 29 saves. Tristan Jarry, looking much more confident than he did in the Islanders’ six-game win in last season’s first round of the playoffs, stopped 25 shots for the Penguins (10-6-4), who have won five straight. That included denying Otto Koivula’s potential equalizer at the crease at 17:40 of the third period.
