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Penguins love Malkin, too Feb. 22: Evgeni Malkin's teammates love being around him.

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The Islanders had their chances, leading 1-0 on Frans Nielsen’s power-play goal about 5 minutes into the game before Philippe Boucher’s first goal since Dec. 18 tied it later in the first period. They also had a pair of 5-on-3 advantages but couldn’t score on either, including a two-man edge lasting 1:46 when they trailed 3-1 late in the second.

“Right now, in our lineup, we don’t have a lot of firepower,” said coach Scott Gordon, whose team has a league-low 197 goals. “I think we hit four posts during the course of the game. It’s not going to come as a surprise that the puck is not going to go in as easy as it would for some teams.”

Like the Penguins, for example.

After New York didn’t score during a two-man advantage lasting 49 seconds early in the third, former Islanders captain Bill Guerin, Sidney Crosby and Tyler Kennedy turned it into another rout by scoring in a 6-minute span.

Crosby scored his 33rd goal and third in two games, a goal originally credited to Sergei Gonchar, and assisted on Guerin’s 21st goal. Crosby has 103 points.

The draft pick New York receives for dealing Guerin to the Penguins at the trading deadline depends on how deep Pittsburgh advances into the playoffs.

“I told him to make sure to get us a third-round pick,” Cooper said.

Notes: Malkin won the Penguins’ MVP award. ... The Penguins sold out every regular season home game for the second successive season. ... Boucher (foot surgery) played for the first time since Jan. 30. ... Penguins fans contributed more than $67,000 before the game to a fund for the three Pittsburgh policemen who were shot to death Saturday, or nearly $4 for every fan. ... The Islanders have allowed 94 shots in two games. ... Pittsburgh went 25-13-3 at home by winning seven of its last eight there.

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