Tony Esposito Jersey Rare point-free night for Crosby

--C Sidney Crosby produced a number of scoring opportunities against the Islanders but was held scoreless Tuesday for only the second time since he returned to the lineup. There were some good signs for Crosby in the Penguins' 5-3 setback at Consol Energy Center. He went to high-traffic areas with more regularity than in previous games, clearly feeling more comfortable with his health. Also, Crosby did the little things better for much of the night. He had been struggling,Zdeno Chara Jersey, for his standards, in the faceoff circle, but he won 15 of 21 faceoffs against the Islanders. Crosby has registered 25 points in only 16 games this season.--Penguins coach Dan Bylsma spoke at length before Tuesday's game about how pleased he is with rookie defensemen Simon Despres and Brian Strait. In fact, Bylsma mentioned that the Penguins weren't terribly interested in acquiring depth on the blue line before the deadline specifically because of the presence of Despres and Strait. Despres, the Penguins' first-round pick in 2009, is only 20 but is on the verge of becoming a regular for Pittsburgh. It is widely believed that Despres will be among the team's top six defensemen next season.Both Despres and Strait were called up from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Tuesday, and they played that night against the Islanders. Strait registered an assist.QUOTE TO NOTE "We have to be better defensively, and we know it. It will be a quick exit in the playoffs if we play like this. We have to play better. We have the team to do it." -- RW Arron Asham,Tony Esposito Jersey, after the Penguins' 5-3 loss to the Islanders.

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