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PITTSBURGH -- Islanders coach Jack Capuano talked before the game about the need for his team to stay disciplined. Yet early in the first period, former Penguin Brian Strait took exception to a Matt Cooke hit on one of his teammates and gave Cooke a shot as Strait was coming onto the ice, drawing an interference penalty. The Pens’ Beau Bennett scored late in the power play to put the Isles behind the eight ball early on. The power-play goal was aided by the fact a clearing attempt by the Isles struck one of the on-ice officials in the neutral zone and allowed the Penguins to quickly return to the Islander zone.

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Veteran netminder Evgeni Nabokov was yanked early in the second period after allowing four goals on 15 shots. Three of those goals came after he took a Jarome Iginla rocket off the top of his mask, a shot that left him momentarily dazed in the first period.

"I never had that. The chunk was out, and I think the mask is done," Nabokov said.

"It’s the first time I’ve actually felt it," Nabokov said, adding that he was lucky the puck hit the top of the mask as opposed to a more direct impact on the forehead or cage.

"Yeah. Good mask," he said ruefully.

***

Pittsburgh defenseman Mark Eaton, who was part of the Pens’ Cup-winning team in 2009 before departing for Long Island, where he played for two seasons, signed with the Penguins in February as a free agent when the Penguins were beset by injuries. He drew an assist on Pascal Dupuis’ second goal Wednesday night, his first point of the season. He led all players with eight blocked shots. When the Penguins are healthy along the blue line (Brooks Orpik missed Game 1 with an injury sustained late in the regular season), Eaton usually plays with Kris Letang his defense partner during the ’09 Cup run.

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Marc-Andre Fleury’s sixth postseason shutout leaves him tied with Tom Barrasso for the most playoff shutouts in franchise history.

Although the Penguins remain clear favorites to win the series (and the East, for that matter), Pittsburgh will be without center Sidney Crosby Wednesday night when the team hosts the New York Islanders.

Crosby has not played since suffering a broken jaw on March 30, though he has been practicing with the Penguins since last week. He had a doctor's appointment on Tuesday, but was not cleared to play.

"He said everything was good," Crosby said, according to ESPN.com's Scott Burnside. "He just wasn't prepared to declare me (ready) to play. Obviously, I would have loved to have had a chance to play tonight, but that's not the way it is."

Crosby has 20 goals and 75 points in 41 career games against the Islanders.

The No. 1-seeded Penguins and No. 8-seeded Islanders square off Wednesday night at Consol Energy Center at 7:30 p.m.

Below is the schedule for the 2013 Eastern Conference quarterfinals series between the Islanders and Penguins, released late Sunday night by the NHL:

No. 1 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. No. 8 New York Islanders

Game 1 (Pittsburgh): Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network, TSN

Game 2 (Pittsburgh): Friday at 7 p.m., NBC Sports Network, TSN

Game 3 (New York): Sunday, May 5 at 12 p.m., NBC, TSN

Game 4 (New York): Tuesday, May 7 at 7 p.m., NBC Sports Network, TSN

Game 5* (Pittsburgh): Thursday, May 9 at 7 p.m., TSN

Game 6* (New York): Saturday, May 11 at TBD, TSN

Game 7* (Pittsburgh): Sunday, May 12 at TBD, TSN

*If necessary

With Ottawa's win over Boston Sunday night, the Islanders finished as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, earning them the dreaded first-round match-up against the high-octane Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Penguins have dominated all season long, including significant stretches without their brightest stars, to finish top dogs in the East with 72 points. They've won eight of their last ten games heading into the postseason, even without an injured Sidney Crosby, though the superstar center began practicing again with the team this week.

Can the Isles pull off an upset, a la 1993?

It will be a tall task, no doubt.

The Penguins will enjoy home ice throughout, with Game 1 slated to open in Pittsburgh, likely on Wednesday.

The NHL playoff schedule is expected to be released late Sunday night.

The Islanders are still waiting on Sunday night's game between the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators to learn their first-round opponent, but the team recalled eight players on Sunday in advance of this week's action.

Among the list of players summoned from the minors?

Top prospects Ryan Strome and Brock Nelson.

Rounding out the group of eight players who will form a taxi squad for the Isles are forwards John Persson and Johan Sundstrom; defensemen Matt Donovan, Aaron Ness and Calvin de Haan; and goaltender Anders Nilsson.

Conspicuously absent from the list?

Former first-round pick Nino Niederreiter, who asked for a trade from the Islanders earlier this season, and goaltender Rick DiPietro, who was waived by the team and sent to the minors.

Niederreiter will play for Switzerland during this year's World Championships.

The Islanders finished the regular season by picking up a point in Friday's 2-1 shootout loss to Buffalo, allowing them to climb from eighth place to sixth with both the Senators and Rangers idle.

Both the Senators and Rangers play Saturday, however, so the jump may well be temporary. Ottawa actually has two games remaining while the Rangers finish up against the Devils at Madison Square Garden.

The Islanders can still finish as high as sixth and as low as eighth, the latter of which would mean a first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. A regulation loss against Buffalo would've locked them into the 1 vs. 8 matchup.

The Islanders' first-round opponent is still undetermined, but they appear to have a more immediate concern anyway: The team has dropped three straight games. So there may be a few things Jack Capuano and Co. want to tidy up in their own play before drafting a scouting report on their foe.

The feared emotional letdown?

That happened Thursday, as the Islanders fell 2-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers just one game after clinching their first playoff berth in six years Tuesday night.

The Isles entered Thursday's divisional clash in sixth place with control over their own seeding destiny. But the two points surrendered in an underwhelming effort in Philly, coupled with overtime wins by both the Senators and Rangers, now leaves the team in eighth place, with a first-round match-up against the dominant Penguins looking likely.

With a win in Buffalo on Friday, and some help, the Islanders could avoid that dreaded draw, but the No. 2 seed Bruins and No. 3 seed Capitals are daunting opponents as well. The Bruins boast one of the league's deepest rosters, with some added bulk to their lineup and strong goaltending with Tuuka Rask in net. The Capitals have emerged from the depths of the East to become one of the hottest teams, with Alex Ovechkin absolutely scorching in the month of April.

The Islanders might be a popular pick for a potential first-round upset, but they are headed for a battle regardless of how the standings shake out this weekend.

With youngster Kevin Poulin receiving the nod Thursday night, it is likely that Jack Capuano goes back to veteran Evgeni Nabokov in net against the Sabres Friday in the Islanders' season finale.

The Islanders didn't leave Carolina with a win Tuesday night, but you can bet there will still be one heck of a celebration on the team's flight home.

For the first time since 2007, the Islanders are headed to the playoffs.

With a point earned in a 4-3 shootout loss to Carolina, coupled with the Capitals' 5-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets in Washington, D.C., the Isles reached their magic number (3) to clinch a playoff spot and punch their ticket for the first time in six years.

Heading into Tuesday's action, the Jets were the only team not among the top eight that had the potential to knock the Isles out, but the Jets fell in regulation as the Caps clinched the Southeast Division title and claimed the coveted No. 3 seed.

If the Islanders remain in sixth place, where they currently sit with 54 points, they'd draw the Caps in a first-round matchup. The Isles could finish as high as the fifth seed or as low as the eighth seed, but regardless, they will be playing meaningful games in May.

Tuesday marked a significant moment for the franchise, as its long-suffering fan base was rewarded for enduring some pretty bleak times in recent years. The Islanders finished in the bottom five teams for five straight seasons before a drastic turnaround in 2013.

Led by superstar center John Tavares, who will likely garner consideration for the Hart Trophy, the Islanders have earned 17 of 20 points in their past 10 games. The team's second line of Josh Bailey, Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo has been tremendous, and veteran goalie Evgeni Nabokov has been impressive in net.

And to make Isles fans' night a little better?

The Rangers also had the chance to clinch but couldn't make it happen. A regulation win over the Panthers would've been enough with the Jets' regulation loss, but the Blueshirts dropped a 3-2 decision in Florida.

The Rangers are now locked up with the Jets and Ottawa Senators in a three-way battle for the last two playoff spots up for grabs.

The Islanders can clinch their first playoff appearance in six years Tuesday night, but they need help to get there.

So this goes beyond tonight's game against the Carolina Hurricanes. Isles fans will also have to keep a keen eye on a huge game between the Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets in D.C.

The team's magic number is three, which means that the Isles will need either a win and a Jets loss (any kind) OR an overtime/shootout loss (one point gained) and a Jets regulation loss (two points surrendered).

The only team not currently among the top eight that could potentially knock the Isles out of a playoff spot right now is the Jets, though the Isles own a game in hand. The Jets have 22 non-shootout wins, though, while the Isles have only 20.

So suffice it to say that tonight's action is critical with a potential playoff-clinching possibility on the horizon for the Isles.

TORONTO -- The New York Islanders open a five-game trip here Thursday night to close out their regular season with much still at stake.

Seventh in the East to begin the day, three points ahead of the danger zone and just one point behind the Ottawa Senators in sixth, the Isles could end up anywhere from fifth to ninth in the conference depending on how they fare on this trip.

Ending the season with five away from home would be a scary task for many teams, but it just so happens that the Isles have one of the best road records in the league at 12-5-2. This is not something they're fretting about.

"It's been great for us all year," star center John Tavares said after Thursday's morning skate. "We play with a lot of calmness and confidence on the road, just composed in a lot of situations. There's a lot of swings of momentum in a game, and we seem to handle those a lot better on the road more consistently this season. We need to rely on that and keep it going."

Besides, current form should give the Isles enough confidence. They're 9-1-2 in their past 12 games, a late-season run that has buoyed their long-suffering fan base.

"It's great," Tavares said. "We're not there yet but we're getting closer to the goal that we've been trying to accomplish for a while. I think we're proving what we're capable of, but we know we still haven't accomplished anything yet."

After Toronto, the Isles jet off to Winnipeg, Carolina and Philadelphia before wrapping it up next Friday night in Buffalo.

A win in regulation Thursday would lift the Isles to two points behind the fifth-place Toronto Maple Leafs, and the players in the visitors dressing room Thursday morning were very much aware of that juicy possibility.

"We're aware of the circumstances at this time of year," Tavares said. "The teams are real tight in the standings and there's a lot of battling for positioning for the playoffs. There's a lot up for grabs for both sides tonight."

The Leafs have a shot at home ice for the first round of the playoffs, thanks to the stumbling Montreal Canadiens. Toronto -- 7-2-1 in its past 10 games -- enters Thursday four points back of the Habs.

The Leafs wrap up the regular season against their rivals at home April 27. Fourth place is very much a possibility for Toronto, and the players know it.

"Definitely," Leafs goalie James Reimer said. "Anytime you can catch the team in front of you, whether it's from eighth to seventh or from second to first, that's what you're focused on. They [the Canadiens] have had a couple of unfortunate games; that's good for us and hopefully we can catch them. If we win tonight, maybe we close the gap. We hope to keep rolling."

Thing is, the Leafs -- who can clinch a playoff spot Thursday night depending on what also happens in Winnipeg -- have to start playing better than they have over the past week. They were downright lucky to beat New Jersey on Monday, Reimer stealing them those two points after the Leafs were outshot 32-13, and they got their just rewards a night later in Washington, when the red-hot Caps drubbed Toronto 5-1.

"We need to play a better brand of hockey than we did in the last six periods," Leafs coach Randy Carlyle said. "It's as simple as that. Or we're not going anywhere. Our focus is getting our team back to where we're capable of playing, because the last six periods for us is not something we'd say we're proud of.

"We have a group of players that have performed fairly well for us [this season] in the situations they've been presented, and now the next one is the most important one: That's tonight against the Islanders."

The Leafs have been outshot in eight straight games, not a trend that would seem to indicate long-term success. Then again, they've been outshot in 32 games this season and sport a sparkling 19-8-5 record in those games.

"We chart where the shots are coming from," Carlyle said. "And that's the most important thing to us. Yeah, we would like to keep our shots [against] down below 30, as every team would. And we'd like to get over 30 [on the opponent]. There's areas where we can improve on, for sure."

Lineup notes: Islanders coach Jack Capuano said veteran blueliner Matt Carkner would be inserted into the lineup for Radek Martinek. … Casey Cizikas, who left the Islanders' last game with an upper-body injury, said he was ready to go for Thursday. Josh Bailey, who also appeared to be banged-up in the last game, also said he's good for Thursday. … Toronto forwards Matt Frattin and Clarke MacArthur will likely be back in the lineup after being healthy scratches Tuesday at Washington. … Carl Gunnarsson will miss his third straight game with a lower-body injury. Carlyle said the defenseman might return Saturday in Ottawa.

It's not the Winter Classic, but New York hockey fans appear to be in for a treat next season, nonetheless.

The NHL is planning to offer two hockey games at Yankee Stadium leading up to Super Bowl week next year -- one between the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 26 and another between the Rangers and New York Islanders on Jan. 29, a source confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com.

Super Bowl XLVIII will be held Feb. 2, 2014, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

The contract for the hockey games at Yankee Stadium has yet to be finalized, the source said, though it is expected to be completed soon.

The Rangers will be the visiting team for both games.

The two games are part of a larger effort to bring more outdoor games to the fans next season.

According to ESPN.com's Scott Burnside, the roster of event begins with the rescheduled Winter Classic in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Jan. 1, 2014, and continues with games in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Vancouver.

Last week, the NHL officially announced the 2014 Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs will be held at Michigan Stadium. The event had to be postponed for a season because of the lockout.

As ESPN.com's Craig Custance reported earlier this month, NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins has indicated the league was looking at putting on multiple outdoor games, in addition to the annual Winter Classic.

There are some concerns about diluting what has become the league's signature event. It will also be a challenge to meet the standards and expectations set in previous years, especially with the undertaking of multiple outdoor games.

"We set the bar pretty high on all these. If you're going into a market that's had [a Winter Classic], the bar is high," Collins told Custance. "If you're going into a market that hasn't had it ... they've seen it, they've heard about it and they want to experience. The bar is possibly even higher for them."

UNIONDALE, N.Y. -- If Saturday night was representative of what a true Islanders-Rangers rivalry can be, then let us all hope the two clubs continue to play meaningful games each April.

Despite more than three scoreless periods of hockey, there could not have been one fan in the sellout crowd of 16,170 at Nassau Coliseum who left disappointed with the caliber and intensity of play.

From start to finish of the Rangers’ 1-0 overtime win, the Isles and Rangers played at a frenetic and desperate pace that could only be truly replicated in a postseason series rife with bad blood and hostility.

"It felt like a playoff game. Two cities, two teams that are big rivals this late in the season, battling for a playoff spot. I mean, you know you’re going to get that intensity," said Rangers captain Ryan Callahan. "The crowd’s into it, the players are into it and it’s close to a playoff game as you can get for the regular season."

This one had all the elements -- superb goaltending, a handful of posts, board-shaking hits and some heated skirmishes -- to ensure that no one was left yawning while 63:11 minutes elapsed until the game’s first goal.

And it was a beauty, as new addition Derick Brassard made a great feed to Dan Girardi, allowing the Rangers defenseman just the right amount of time and space to pick the top left corner and beat Isles goaltender Evgeni Nabokov for the win with 1:49 remaining in overtime.

"He made a great saucer pass, pretty much right on my tape, gave me a lot of time to make a pass or pick a corner," said Girardi, who earned the Broadway Hat in scoring his second goal of the season.

Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist earned his first shutout of the season, an appropriate end to a game studded with stellar saves (29 in total) from the reigning Vezina Trophy winner, as the Rangers pulled within one point of the seventh-place Islanders.

It was the third time in the two clubs’ four meetings this season that extra time was required.

"It’s always fun to end a game like this, when you’re playing well. The guys worked so hard to try to get the win and it’s like the last time we were in here," Lundqvist said. "We come up big on the last play, and we’ve got to build from this one."

Although the eighth-place Blueshirts could’ve leap-frogged their division rivals in the standings with a regulation win, the Isles were also impressive the entire night as hosts to an old barn that was absolutely electric.

A significant amount of Rangers fans littered the home crowd, but it made for an amazing atmosphere that elevated the intensity on the ice.

"I never played in a game like that before," said Brassard, a trade-deadline acquisition from Columbus with no idea what to expect. "It was unreal."

The balance of power between the two New York hockey teams has evened out this season, after the Rangers have been the team to beat in recent years.

The Islanders, 8-1-2 in their past 11 games, are poised to make their first playoff appearance since 2007, a fact that seems to be setting in for a long-suffering fan base that deserves some reward for its loyalty.

Those fans, along with the Blueshirts who made the trek out to Long Island, packed the house and deserve much of the credit for what turned out to be an incredible experience for both teams.

"I think it felt a little different driving to the game. There was thousands of people in the parking lot getting ready to go for tonight’s game and it kind of got us fired up, seeing that going on," Girardi said. "Warm-up was loud again, and it’s always fun to come to this building. We get a lot of fans here and their fans were really loud tonight, too, so there was definitely a lot of energy in the building that both teams fed off of."

Hopefully, Saturday’s game was one of many more like it to come.

What it means: It was a low-scoring affair, but Saturday's Islanders-Rangers game lived up to the hype in every way, from the tight-checking, high-intensity level of play in three scoreless periods down to the end when Rangers defenseman Dan Girardi snapped a 0-0 tie with the game-winner in overtime to give the Rangers the 1-0 win. The sellout crowd of 16,170 got their money's worth and more as the two playoff-caliber teams duked it out in a Battle of New York that upstaged any other rivalry games between the two clubs in recent memory.

The Islanders, who entered the game with a two-point lead on the Blueshirtsm remain in seventh place. The eighth-place Rangers are only one point back and have a game in hand with seven games left.

Power outage: Both the Islanders and Rangers had prime opportunities to snap a scoreless draw with power-plays late in the game. The Islanders were blanked on the man-advantage with Rangers defenseman Steve Eminger in the box at 10:28 for hooking, but were able to come up huge on special teams with the Rangers threatening late in regulation on Kyle Okposo's slashing penalty that extended into the overtime period.

Scoreless first: The first period lacked for a ton of scoring chances but it was an entertaining one nonetheless. Beyond the impeccably-timed “Let’s Go Rangers!” and “Let’s Go Islanders!” that grew to a deafening ding, there were a few entertaining moments. Islanders forward Colin McDonald crushed Eminger along the boards, causing the first major scuffle of the night at 12:14. Arron Asham came to Eminger’s defense, but in doing so negated what would’ve been a Rangers power-play. Instead, both McDonald (elbowing) and Asham (roughing) headed to the box. Later in the period, Lundqvist made an incredible, outstretched glove save to rob Matt Moulson’s rebound attempt. Rangers fans were on their feet after that one, chanting “Hen-rik, Hen-rik,” while Moulson looked incredulous that the shots was snagged.

Stalemate in second: Even with two scoreless periods in the books, the sellout crowd had nothing to be disappointed about with great action on both ends in the second period. Both the Islanders and Rangers hit the post in the second and received stellar performances in net. Islanders goaltender Evgeni Nabokov made a lightning-quick kick save to stop Rangers forward Darroll Powe early in the period. Late in the second period, Lundqvist made a series of clutch saves in a flurry of chances in the waning minutes of the middle frame.

UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Ranger coach John Tortorella dismissed questions about the Islanders on Friday, but the Isles had no problem talking about their opponents or the upcoming clash against their division rivals.

And they’re not downplaying the importance of the marquee match-up -- one with New York bragging rights and, more importantly, playoff implications on the line.

“It’s always pretty crazy but we’re neck-and-neck in the standings and it’s been that way for a while now,” 22-year-old defenseman Travis Hamonic said. “At this point in the year, in my mind, there’s no bigger game.”

Two points ahead of the Rangers in seventh place in the East, the Islanders have the chance to pull four points ahead. A regulation loss, however, allows the Rangers to leapfrog them in the standings with a game in hand.

Regardless, the rivalry has intensified with both teams playing well.

“For sure,” said Kyle Okposo. “It makes both sides of fans more into the game. Everybody is going to be watching the New York area, so it will be good.”

Okposo and linemates Josh Bailey and Frans Nielsen have been setting the tone of late, as the Islanders have grabbed eight wins in the last 10 games. Bailey has seven points in the last six games; Nielsen has six during that span.

Coach Jack Capuano has employed the line against other team’s top units and will likely do the same Saturday against Rangers’ star winger Rick Nash.

Hamonic and defensive partner Andrew MacDonald will match up against that top line on defense.

Nash has five goals and 11 points in 12 career games against the Islanders.

“He’s so big. You see a lot of him and he maybe cuts down the far wing, drops the shoulder and cuts to the net maybe better than anyone else in the league,” Hamonic said. “He’s so good at puck protection. His stick is so long, too. You really have to try to play off his hips a little bit."

“You have to be aware, aware of his speed,” he continued. “You gotta know who you’re out against.”

The Rangers will have their hands full on defense as well, with both a productive second line and the Islanders’ top line, centered by star forward John Tavares.

Tavares is pacing the team with 24 goals and 42 points this season.

Tavares is looking forward to an Islanders-Rangers game that has a different feel than previous ones.

“I think there will be a lot of passion, a lot of intensity,” he said. “For me, I don’t see anything better than this in the league. It’s going to be a lot of fun and fans are a part of that as well.”

At a glance: Ready for a real rivalry? Too many times in recent years the Battle of New York has failed to live up to its billing, but not this season. After missing the playoffs for five straight seasons, the Islanders are poised to make their first postseason appearance since 2007. With eight wins in the last 10 games, the seventh-place Isles are two points ahead of the eighth-place Rangers. The atmosphere at Nassau Coliseum has been downright electric of late, and the excitement will intensify as their rival Blueshirts visit Saturday.

Trying to climb: With two weeks left until the end of the regular season, the two clubs are both trying to climb the Eastern Conference standings, in hope of drawing a favorable matchup. The coveted sixth spot is up for grabs for both the Islanders and the Rangers, who are two and four points back of the Ottawa Senators, respectively. Why is that the target seed? Whichever team claims that seed draws the winner of the Southeast -- widely viewed as the weakest division in the league -- in the first round. The Washington Capitals sit on top of the Southeast with 46 points and a game in hand, but the Winnipeg Jets trail them by a mere two points with six games to play. Both the Isles and Rangers would like to avoid drawing a matchup against the first and second seed, currently occupied by the dominant Penguins and the high-octane Canadiens.

Playoff implications: The Rangers can pass the Islanders with a regulation win Saturday, since they have a game in hand on the Isles. Meanwhile, the Islanders have the chance to split the head-to-head tiebreaker with a regulation win over the Rangers. 2-0-1 in the first three meetings of the season, the Blueshirts hold a 5-3 edge in points in this series.

Streaking second line: The Islanders have been paced by leading scorer John Tavares and their top line all season, but the second line of Josh Bailey, Frans Nielsen and Kyle Okposo has been leading the way of late. Bailey, who notched a pair of goals in the Isles’ 2-1 win in Boston on Thursday night, has seven points in the last six games while Nielsen has six points during that span. Okposo has three points in the last four games.

New faces: There will be some new faces in the Rangers lineup since the last time these teams played. Forwards Ryane Clowe and Derick Brassard and defenseman John Moore, all acquired by the Rangers before the trade deadline, will get their first taste of the rivalry Saturday. Clowe comes to New York after spending eight seasons with San Jose, while Brassard and Moore were acquired in a deal with Columbus that sent Marian Gaborik to the Blue Jackets.