Casey Cizikas (2G), Anders Lee (2G), JG Pageau, Anthony Duclair scored for the Islanders in a game that tied a season-high six goals, while Ilya Sorokin made 22 saves in his career-long 12 th consecutive start. Michael Bunting, Noel Acciari, Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins while Tristan Jarry made 28 saves in the loss.

Nobody said it outright in the lead up to the first of a back-to-back, home-and-home matchup with the Penguins on Saturday, but winning this set of games — or at least avoiding a sweep — was as essential a task as the Islanders have faced all season.

The Islanders’ dogged work for the opening 10 minutes of the second period helped make good on Roy’s promise on Saturday night. They scored three goals during that stretch — those goals the result of won battles, races, and every inch of contested ice — to fuel a 6-3 win over the Penguins at USB Arena in Elmont, N.Y.