Isles 3 – Pens 3

PITTSBURGH – Now there are two first-place hockey teams in New York.

After tying the Penguins here last night at the Igloo, 3-3, the Islanders find themselves tied at the top of the Atlantic Division with the Rangers.

Now winless in their last three, the Isles (11-3-2-1) were caught from behind after the Pens (7-7-3-2) overcame two two-goal deficits in the third period, as Alexei Kovalev went wild for three goals.

The Isles also were caught in the standings by the Rangers, with both teams tied for first with 25 points after the Rangers’ win over the Flyers last night.

“I don’t think any tie is a good tie,” Isles coach Peter Laviolette said.

The Islanders were cruising along with a 3-1 lead early in the third period when Kovalev struck, and struck again.

Already on the scoresheet with a goal at 1:38 of the third, Kovalev scored twice in a span of 33 seconds – completing his second hat trick in as many nights and stunning the Islanders, who were the dominant team the first period. Kovalev had three against the Devils on Tuesday night.

Kovalev almost made it four goals with 3:41 left in the third, but hit the post.

“The puck came to me so fast, I probably should have stopped it and then shot it, but I tried to one-time it and it hit the post,” Kovalev said.

Said Isle captain Michael Peca: “He’s got one of the best shots I’ve ever seen, and when he gets hat tricks, they seem to come in bunches.”

Kovalev has six goals in two games after missing 13 for knee surgery.

The Isles were leading 2-0 on a pair of first-period goals when Kovalev brought the Pens within 2-1 at 1:38, off a feed from Robert Lang.

Brad Isbister’s second goal of the game – this one assisted by Alexei Yashin – made it 3-1 Isles at 6:09. But then Kovalev struck twice in a span of 33 seconds.

Goal No. 2 on the night came at 6:35, unassisted off a wrist shot.

Goal No. 3 followed at 7:08, as Kovalev roofed a wicked shot over Garth Snow’s right shoulder from the goal line to tie the game 3-3.

Kovalev’s trick negated what had been a solid Islander night.

Two Isles who hadn’t been heard from much this season – Isbister and Mariusz Czerkawski – got them going with first-period goals.

Isbister skated on a line with Yashin and Oleg Kvasha, while Czerkawski played alongside Dave Scatchard and Mats Lindgren, as coach Peter Laviolette juggled his combinations again.

Isbister gave the Isles a 1-0 lead at 4:43 of the first. He took a pass from Yashin, burst out of the neutral zone, skated wide around former Islander Darius Kasparaitis along the left wing, then slid a backhander under Penguin goalie Johan Hedberg.

Czerkawski made it 2-0 on the power play when he flipped a Mark Parrish rebound over Hedberg at 11:31. Alexei Kovalev was off for roughing.

That goal extended Parrish’s point streak to 12 games.

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Garth Snow was making his second start of the season after coming on in relief of Chris Osgood on Saturday night in Montreal. He finished with 27 saves. …

Kovalev’s hat trick inadvertently resulted in a right eye injury to Penguins forward Dan Lacouture, who was struck by a souvenir puck as fans threw hats onto the ice. He complained afterward of blurry vision, but expects to be OK. …