UNIONDALE, N.Y. – Evgeni Malkin and Jeff Taffe scored first-period goals for trade-depleted Pittsburgh, providing early offense for the Penguins in a 4-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.

Ty Conklin (17-4-5) kept the Penguins in front throughout by stopping a career-high 50 shots.

Just hours after the Penguins made the biggest splash on trade deadline day by acquiring star forward Marian Hossa from Atlanta for forwards Colby Armstrong and Erik Christensen, Pittsburgh pulled out a win despite being outshot 52-20.

Frans Nielsen scored on Conklin in the second period to get the Islanders within 2-1. Trent Hunter hit the crossbar less than 2 minutes into the third, and New York dropped its second straight following a six-game winning streak.

Jordan Staal scored during a delayed-penalty call with 7:05 remaining to restore Pittsburgh’s two-goal lead, and Connor James – just up from the minors – made it 4-1 with 3:02 left on his first NHL goal.

Ruslan Fedotenko’s power-play goal brought the Islanders to 4-2.

Hossa and defenseman Hal Gill, acquired from Toronto, are expected to play Thursday when the Penguins visit Boston. Once captain Sidney Crosby returns from a high ankle sprain and joins Hossa on a line, the Penguins will possess one of the NHL’s most potent offenses.

Capitals 4, Wild 1

WASHINGTON – Brooks Laich had two goals and assisted on two others to lead the Washington Capitals to a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.

It was the first two-goal and four-point game for Laich, and gave Washington its first win in four games.

Laich’s sterling performance came just hours after the Capitals acquired three players at the trading deadline in an attempt to snatch a playoff spot.

Minnesota, which made news by acquiring left wing Chris Simon from the New York Islanders, lost its fourth straight as it continues its tumble in the Western Conference.

The Capitals’ new additions – veteran center Victor Fedorov, goalie Cristobal Huet and left wing Matt Cooke, picked up in three separate deals – weren’t on hand, but weren’t needed.

Hurricanes 2, Devils 1

RALEIGH, N.C. – Sergei Samsonov tapped in his own rebound with 3:24 left in overtime to lift the Carolina Hurricanes past New Jersey 2-1 on Tuesday night, snapping the Devils’ five-game winning streak.

Samsonov finished with two goals for the Southeast Division-leading Hurricanes, who won their third straight and avoided being swept by New Jersey for the first time in 16 years.

Samsonov streaked down the boards to chase down a pass from Scott Walker, threw the puck toward Martin Brodeur and then slipped the rebound past the goalie’s stick for the winner – his fifth goal in eight games.

Brian Gionta scored for New Jersey, which remained atop the Atlantic Division by picking up a point for the ninth straight game. The Devils are 7-0-2 in their last nine.

Martin Brodeur made 34 saves, including 12 in a furious third period for the Devils, while Cam Ward turned aside 23 shots for Carolina.

The Devils took a 1-0 lead early in the second period when Gionta skated down the right side and centered a pass that clicked off Carolina defenseman Bret Hedican’s stick and into the net.

Samsonov tied it 4 minutes later when he poked the rebound of Keith Aucoin’s wrist shot past Brodeur.

Stars 3, Blues 1

ST. LOUIS – Loui Eriksson scored twice and Mike Ribeiro added a pair of assists in a three-goal third period for the Dallas Stars, who rallied to defeat the St. Louis Blues 3-1 on Tuesday night.

After pulling off one of the biggest trades of deadline day when it acquired Brad Richards from Tampa Bay, Dallas didn’t need its new high-scoring center to handle the Blues.

The Stars, who trailed 1-0 heading into the third period, also got a goal from Jere Lehtinen to win in St. Louis for the first time in five games. Marty Turco stopped 27 shots for Dallas in the game after being scored on the first shot he faced.

Earlier in the day, Dallas acquired Richards and goalie Johan Holmqvist from Tampa Bay in exchange for forwards Jeff Halpern and Jussi Jokinen and goalie Mike Smith.

Canadiens 5, Thrashers 1

MONTREAL – Chris Higgins had two goals and an assist as the Montreal Canadiens scored four times in the first half of the third period in a 5-1 victory over the Atlanta Thrashers on Tuesday night.

Higgins, the subject of trade rumors before Tuesday’s 3 p.m. deadline, scored his 20th goal 2:10 into the third to give Montreal a 2-1 lead. He added his second goal in 2:46 with his 21st goal at 4:56.

Higgins set up Andrei Markov’s power-play goal as the Canadiens increased their lead to 3-1 at 8:17, and Sergei Kostitsyn added Montreal’s fourth goal at 9:04.

Carey Price stopped 26 shots and Maxim Lapierre also scored for the Canadiens, who sent goalie Cristobal Huet to Washington for a second-round pick in the 2009 draft in their only trade of the day.

Ilya Kovalchuk scored his 41st goal in the second for Atlanta, which traded potential unrestricted free agent Marian Hossa to Pittsburgh before the trading deadline.

Kari Lehtonen made 28 saves.

Thrashers general manager and coach Don Waddell had a busy day as he moved behind the bench to see his team drop its fourth in a row after he acquired center Erik Christensen, right wing Colby Armstrong, prospect Angelo Esposito and a first-round pick from Pittsburgh in the trade that sent Hossa and forward Pascal Dupuis to the Penguins.

Lapierre opened the scoring with his fourth goal 12:47 in.

Kovalchuk tied it at 1 when he beat Price for a power-play goal 2:04 into the second.

Higgins put the Canadiens ahead for good early in the third when he tapped in Michael Ryder’s pass across the crease at the right post for the first of Montreal’s two power-play goals in the third.

He made it 3-1 moments later and had a hand in the Canadiens’ third goal of the period at 8:17 when he put a pass from the right side to Markov, who scored his 13th goal into an open left side.

Kostitsyn scored his seventh goal to increase the lead to four.

Notes: Christensen and Armstrong will join the Thrashers in Atlanta on Wednesday. … Atlanta recalled D Joel Kwiatkowski, LW Colin Stuart and C Bryan Little from Chicago of the AHL earlier in the day. All three dressed for the game. … The Canadiens recalled G Jaroslav Halak and C Mikhail Grabovski from Hamilton of the AHL earlier in the day. Halak backed up Price and Grabovski assisted on Kostitsyn’s goal. … C Bryan Smolinski, RW Tom Kostopoulos and Ds Patrice Brisebois and Mathieu Dandenault were all healthy scratches for Montreal.

AP-ES-02-26-08 2215EST