NHL PENGUINS Slumping Pittsburgh drops tilt to Islanders

The Penguins are 0-3-1 after Saturday's 3-2 loss and since starting the season 7-2-2.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Adrian Aucoin put the Islanders ahead late in the first period on their only successful power play of the night and New York rode Chris Osgood's goaltending to a 3-2 victory over the slumping Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night.
Oleg Kvasha and Jason Wiemer scored at even strength as the Islanders won for only the third time in 11 games despite going only 1-for-8 on the power play, 0-for-5 in a scoreless second period.
Mario Lemieux scored his first goal in four games -- and only the sixth by Pittsburgh during that span -- but the Penguins are 0-3-1-1 since a 7-2-2 start.
The Islanders were off to their worst start -- 5-11-1 -- since the 1985-86 season, only to play a strong defensive game that overcame their inability to capitalize with the man advantage.
Osgood tough in goal
Osgood, who began the game with only a 4-8-1 career record against Pittsburgh, turned aside 33 of 35 shots, allowing only power-play goals to Alexei Kovalev and Lemieux.
Despite their poor start, which came a year after they reached the playoffs on the strength of an 11-3-2-1 early season record, the Islanders held an unusually loose and relaxed practice Friday in Pittsburgh following a 4-1 loss in Boston.
Maybe it was the news that team captain Michael Peca wouldn't miss any playing time despite spraining a knee in Boston during his first extended ice time since last season's playoffs.
With Peca back in the lineup, the Islanders began pressuring Penguins goalie Johan Hedberg early and finally got the opening goal at 7:24, Kvasha's first of the season. Alexei Yashin dug the puck out from along the boards after Pittsburgh couldn't get it out of its own zone and found Kvasha breaking down the slot.
Kovalev tied it about 3 minutes later on a 5-on-3 power play with a slap shot from short range in the lower right circle that Osgood had no chance to play.
Aucoin gave the lead back to the Islanders late in the period with a slap shot from just inside the blue line during a power play. Penguins forward Steve McKenna was off for unsportsmanlike conduct for going after the Islanders' Steve Webb, who had taken defenseman Michal Rozsival out with a hard hit along the rear boards.
That goal held up until Dave Scatchard found Jason Wiemer skating down the slot for Wiemer's second of the season, making it 3-1 six minutes into the third period.
Notes
The Islanders won for only the second time on the road (2-4-1). ... New York is 3-1 in its last four in Pittsburgh. ... Pittsburgh lost for the first time in its last seven home games, with one tie.