NHL ROUNDUP Friday’s games

Islanders 4, Penguins 2

PITTSBURGH — Blake Comeau scored his first career goal to give the Islanders the lead midway through the third period, Trent Hunter added a goal 37 seconds later and New York shook off a recent slump to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins. Comeau, a rookie playing only his second game this season and the fifth of his career, took former Penguins center Andy Hilbert’s pass in the left circle and beat Dany Sabourin inside the far post to put the Islanders back into the lead at 3-2 after they couldn’t hold a 1-0 lead.Comeau also had his first two-point game, assisting on Hilbert’s goal about 8 1/2 minutes into the second period after Jordan Staal had given Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead. Comeau was recalled Monday after Islanders forward Chris Simon took a leave from the team, shortly before being suspended for 30 games for stepping on Penguins forward Jarkko Ruutu’s leg with his skate blade last Saturday. Hunter’s seventh goal assured Pittsburgh’s fourth loss in six games, a night after the Penguins couldn’t hold a 4-0 lead but came back to beat Boston 5-4 in a shootout. Rick DiPietro made 24 saves as the Islanders won for only the third time in 11 games, going 2-7-1 in the previous 10. The Penguins, 4-2 previously when playing on the second night of consecutive games, seemed to have gained the momentum when a long-slumping Staal scored only his third goal in 35 games. Sidney Crosby was knocked off his skates after carrying the puck down the slot, but it deflected to Staal along the goal line and he stuffed it inside the near post. Staal has been stuck in a terrible sophomore slump since scoring 29 goals as an 18-year rookie, pushed down to the fourth line at times while seemingly losing his scoring touch and his confidence.

Blue Jackets 2, Kings 1

COLUMBUS — The Columbus Blue Jackets beat the slumping Los Angeles Kings with an efficient penalty kill and some fortunate breaks. Nikolai Zherdev had a goal and an assist, and Fredrik Norrena made 33 saves to help the Blue Jackets hand the Kings their sixth straight loss. Jiri Novotny also scored for Columbus. The Blue Jackets killed six of seven Los Angeles power plays, had a Kings goal waved off and cleared the puck away from their goal line twice. Norrena allowed only Michael Cammalleri’s first-period, power-play goal. “I thought our penalty killers did the job,” Columbus coach Ken Hitchcock said. Zherdev broke a tie 37 seconds into the third period, redirecting Ron Hainsey’s centering pass from the corner for his 13th goal. “It’s about getting people to the front [of the net] and getting pucks in there,” said Hainsey, a defenseman who cleared away a sure goal early in the first period. Los Angeles opened the scoring midway through the first period, with Cammalleri’s wrist shot going between Norrena’s pads. It was Cammalleri’s 15th goal of the season and first in eight games. Rob Blake nearly made it 2-0 moments later, but his apparent goal was nullified because he was in the crease before redirecting the puck into the goal. “Unfortunately the breaks went against us,” Los Angeles coach Marc Crawford said. “When those things happen, all you can do is just keep working and try to get through it.” Norrena kept the Blue Jackets within striking distance in the second period, stopping Lubomir Visnovsky on a 2-on-1 and Ladislav Nagy on a breakaway. “We really relied on our goaltender,” Hitchcock said. “He came up big.” Curtis Glencross helped, also clearing the puck off the Columbus goal line.

Associated Press