Pittsburgh Penguins

Guentzel helps Penguins top Islanders 2-1

UNIONDALE, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 10: Jake Guentzel #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins scores the game winning goal in the shootout against Robin Lehner #40 of the New York Islanders at NYCB Live at the Nassau Coliseum. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Jake Guentzel scored the decisive goal in the shootout to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Monday night.

Guentzel also assisted on Derick Brassard's tying goal in the third period, helping Pittsburgh improve to 3-0-1 in its last four games. Casey DeSmith had 25 saves through regulation and overtime.

Penguins star Phil Kessel beat Robin Lehner in the first round of the shootout, but Josh Bailey scored on New York's third attempt to keep the tiebreaker going. Valtteri Filppula was denied by DeSmith before Guentzel closed out the win for Pittsburgh.

DeSmith improved to 6-1-2 in his past nine starts.

TRENDING NOW:

Anthony Beauvillier scored in the second period for the Islanders, and Lehner finished with 23 stops.

New York had a power-play chance in overtime when Brassard was penalized for tripping Filppula. But the Islanders came up empty.

Beauvillier put the Islanders ahead with his eighth goal 6:32 into the middle period, converting a pass from Josh Bailey. Brassard responded 2:13 into the third, knocking the puck past Lehner for his fourth goal of the season.

The teams played a scoreless first period that had plenty of drama. The Islanders failed to score on three power plays, and then killed off a four-minute penalty on captain Anders Lee.

DeSmith made his best save of the period when he denied Brock Nelson in the closing seconds on a break with Lee just out of the penalty box.

The teams split their four meetings this season.

UP NEXT

Islanders: Host Vegas Golden Knights at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Wednesday.

Penguins: Visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.