Sidney Crosby was making a comeback from a sore groin that had kept him out of the NHL action for three games ‘ his return from the layoff seemed just fitting for the Penguins‘ helping them avert a defeat ‘ Crosby set up Colby Armstrong who found the net twice scoring his first two goals of the season, check line forward Chris Thorburn joined the party shortly helping the Pittsburgh Penguins clinch a narrow 3-2 win over the New York Islanders.
The Islanders came into the game with a good record this season, winning three games on trot with 6-1-1 from their eight previous games; they may have clinched the win here but sorely missed their leading scorer Alexei Yashin (out with a sprained knee), although the Islanders had 35 despairing efforts on the Penguins net only to find resolute Marc Andre Fleury who let the puck seek in just twice.
Crosby is by far the best in the business at Pittsburgh ‘ he has had a two year career at the NHL and had missed only a solitary game prior to this, in his absence the Penguins lost all three games. Islanders coach Ted Nolan said in Crosby’s appreciation,
‘He’s a super player, Every time he has the puck, you’re on your toes. He finds people in the open.’
Penguins had lost to the Islander 3-1 last week, though this win, Crosby’s comeback and Colby Armstrong finding his scoring stride will certainly add up to the Penguins confidence when they face the Islanders in the week end for the decider.
