PITTSBURGH -- Sidney Crosby isn't shying away from contact despite his latest concussion scare, creating a game-winning goal with a big hit that left the New York Islanders frustrated and unhappy.

Crosby's physicality led to his second goal in as many games since returning from a concussion, and Marc-Andre Fleury -- constantly under pressure during the first two periods -- made 35 saves as the Pittsburgh Penguins held off New York to win 4-2 Thursday night.

The Penguins' "big three" of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel each converted in the third period as Pittsburgh improved to 5-0-1 at PPG Paints Arena. They scored more than three goals for the first time this season.

But it was Fleury who kept the Penguins in the game, making 31 saves -- very few of them easy ones -- in only the first two periods.

"You watch him out there, he's been unbelievable," Kessel said of Fleury. "He kept us in the game and we were able to reward him. Obviously we'd like to play more of a complete game, but we got it done."

With the score tied at 2, Crosby won it with 2:25 remaining by steering a Scott Wilson pass to his stick and shooting almost simultaneously to beat Jaroslav Halak inside the far post.

Crosby created a lane to the net by beating defenseman Johnny Boychuk to a puck in the corner with a hard shoulder-to-shoulder hit that left Boychuk staggered and unable to defend for a moment.

And angry for a lot longer than that.

Replays appeared to show Crosby delivering a hard but clean hit -- Boychuk did not appear to be struck in the head -- but, the defenseman said, "You do get elbowed in the head and then that guy scores the goal. ... I'm sure if it was reverse roles, I'd be getting a phone call and a suspension, I'm guessing."

Crosby defended the hit, saying, "I didn't hit him in the head. Did you see the replay?"

"I didn't see the replay, but I guess it's more of a focal point when Sid turns around five seconds later and scores that goal," Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic said.

Only 32 seconds after Crosby scored, Kessel -- who had a goal and two assists -- scored off Malkin's pass on a power play for his third of the season. Malkin and Crosby each had a goal and an assist.

The Islanders lost in the late minutes for the second night in a row, following up a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on a Shea Weber goal Wednesday night.

"The last five minutes, for some reason," Hamonic said. "But nobody's going to feel sorry for us. ... It's a frustrating result the last two games. (This) was a good game, except for those couple of minutes at the end."

However, the Islanders couldn't sustain in the third period the repeated surges they had during the first two, and that allowed the Penguins' stars to take over.

After each team failed to convert excellent scoring chances early in the third, Malkin took Kessel's pass to the right circle, kicked it to his stick and beat Halak between the pads at 12:48 for his fourth of the season and a 2-1 Penguins lead.

But Malkin then took his second penalty of the game, for tripping, and center Shane Prince took advantage of a misplay by Fleury, who went behind the net to play a puck that never came to him, to tie it.

"So I was happy to see Sid bury that one, that's for sure," Fleury said. "It was a lot of shots, and I was trying to keep the score close."

He's also trying to keep himself as the starter as Stanley Cup-winning goalie Matt Murray nears a return from a broken right thumb that's kept him out of the season to date.

Fleury made a series of excellent saves -- the best one probably was against Prince on a breakaway -- until a missed Crosby slap shot at the opposite end turned into a 2-on-1 break for the Islanders.

Prince threw a cross-ice pass to Hamonic, who jumped into the play to lead the break and beat Fleury with a wrist shot from the edge of the right circle at 15:13 for his first of the season, and the seventh by an Islanders defenseman in four games.

Before that, Patric Hornqvist scored a power-play goal -- his fourth of the season -- off a tic-tac-toe passing sequence only 46 seconds into the game for a 1-0 Penguins advantage.

NOTES: Penguins D Kris Letang (upper body injury) and F Conor Sheary (eye) each missed a fourth consecutive game, and coach Mike Sullivan said there is no definitive timetable for Letang's return. Letang took part in the morning skate. ... The Penguins began the game with a No. 3 line of LW Carl Hagelin, C Nick Bonino and RW Bryan Rust. RW Phil Kessel moved up to C Evgeni Malkin's line Tuesday against Florida, and Sullivan kept him there to start the Islanders game. ... Penguins G Matt Murray (broken right thumb) is close to returning, but G Marc-Andre Fleury started for the eighth consecutive game. ... The Penguins began the season by playing six of their first eight games at PPG Paints Arena, but their next four games and seven of their next 10 are on the road, starting Saturday at Philadelphia. ... Islanders LW Nikolay Kulemin remained out with an undisclosed injury. ... The Islanders scratched G Thomas Greiss and C Mathew Barzal. The Penguins held out LW Tom Sestito and G Mike Condon.