Bylsma’s 1st game as Pens coach ends in SO loss

UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Dan Bylsma’s first game behind the Pittsburgh Penguins bench ended like so many under former coach Michel Therrien, with a loss.

Frans Nielsen and Jeff Tambellini scored shootout goals, and Joey MacDonald turned aside Penguins stars Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby in the tiebreaker to lift the lowly New York Islanders to a 3-2 victory Monday.

Bylsma got the call that he would replace Therrien on Sunday, just before he was set to coach his Wilkes Barre-Scranton club in an AHL game.

The decision to dismiss Therrien, who led the Penguins to the Stanley Cup finals last year, was made by general manager Ray Shero after Pittsburgh blew a 2-0 lead at Toronto and gave up five goals in the third period of a 6-2 loss Saturday.

Story appears in Tuesday’s edition.