Crosby on a heater, PP squanders winning chance, and more: 3 key Pittsburgh Penguins takeaways from OT loss to Isles

The Pittsburgh Penguins were hoping to make it two straight wins when they took their show on the road Tuesday night for a matchup at UBS Arena against the host New York Islanders.

Meanwhile, the Islanders wanted to rebound from a frustrating 5-2 loss to their in-state rival New York Rangers on Sunday.

By the time the dust settled, the Islanders emerged victorious over the Penguins, winning a 4-3 contest via the shootout.

Penguins star captain and future Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby opened the scoring in the second period with his sixth goal of the season, demonstrating once again that age is just a number for the franchise icon.

While New York's Kyle Palmieri tied things up, fellow Penguins star and team icon Evgeni Malkin lit the lamp on the power play with his fourth goal of the year.

Hard-nosed forward Michael Bunting found the back of the net for the first time this season, beating goaltender Ilya Sorokin with a wrist shot at 7:44 of the third period. However, the Islanders responded with a pair of tallies from Simon Holmstrom (PPG) and Jean-Gabriel Pageau, knotting the score.

After neither team scored in overtime, only Bo Horvat was able to score in the shootout that followed, securing the extra point for the Islanders.

Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made 23 saves in a losing effort, while Sorokin made 32 saves.

Let's examine the top three takeaways from Tuesday's Penguins setback at UBS Arena.

3 major takeaways from Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 S/O loss to New York Islanders

#3. Sidney Crosby shows absolutely no sign of slowing down

The longtime Penguins captain, who agreed to re-sign with Pittsburgh on a new contract that begins with the expiration of his current deal this summer, he continues to get the job done.

His second-period goal meant that he was responsible for five of the last six goals the Penguins as a team had scored.

#2. The power play fell short at the worst time

The Penguins boast the NHL's 11th ranked power-play in terms of efficiency, but they failed when it mattered most.

Pittsburgh enjoyed a 4-on-3 advantage in overtime, but couldn't seize the golden opportunity for the valuable extra point. If the Penguins aren't able to properly capitalize on prime chances, their already slim playoff chances for this season aren't looking good.

#1. Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic continues to play his role as best he can

As it currently stands, Nedeljkovic is the de-facto starter in Pittsburgh thanks to the struggles of Tristan Jarry. The team sent him to the minors in October in order to try and get his game in order.

He made 23 key saves on the Islanders, especially in the first period when they had multiple high-percentage opportunities.

The Penguins continue their road trip when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday in Raleigh.