Prediction
A multitude of changes for the Penguins. Jared McCann is not back from the IR, and Mark Jankowski is out with a daily injury. Anthony Angello plays in for his first NHL game of the season, as Drew O’Connor also plays out here.
First period
The Penguins get two powerplays in the first period and do nothing with it. Tristan Jarry does his part to keep his team in a scramble to find the puck and stop Jordan Eberle.
But then the islanders deserve their first and only match in the game, with Brock Nelson sitting in front of the net and tilting Oliver Wahlstrom’s center shot / pass to give NYI a 1:20 lead. The period.
The total shots in the first are 9-7 NYI, 5v5 Corsi is a 50-50 split. NYI has a 6-5 chance advantage with a 2-0 5v5 chance advantage.
Second period
The pins are just 1:34 behind with 2-0 when Mat Barzal has unlimited time and space to swing in the zone and his shot bounces off a bounce and past Tristan Jarry.
As we have seen time and time again, the pens not only lay down and make it easy, but they fight back. And it’s the malicious showdown that makes it a 2-1 match, thanks to Sidney Crosby who wins a PP lead and gets a pass from Kris Letang and hits it while Semyon Varlamov loses his feet and out of position is.
Only 26 seconds later the Pens leveled the match when Kasperi Kapanen made a pass from behind the net to Letang who quickly shot to the other side of Semyon Varlamov and it was a new match at 2-2 as Letang captured Varlamov and very deep in his net for another dubious goal setting, but it just counts the same.
The Pens spoiled a power play chance and a little later in the period Josh Bailey struck from before the net to push the Islanders back to 3-2.
Shots in the second are 11-6 Pins as they fight back in the game but still have a backlog to climb out of in the last 20 minutes.
Third period
The pins come out strong and just 18 seconds into Jared McCann makes a triumphant return from the IR to gun in a shot on the rush of an Evgeni Malkin lineup to tie the game at 3 pieces.
Shots in the third are 11-6 Islands, while the pens hang with thanks to Jarry to extend the game.
Overtime
With only 26 seconds left in the extra period, Kris Letang makes a great play to skate the shooter with the open 3v3 ice and sign on the rush as JG Pageau moves his shot down, but not enough as it passes Varlamov waved.
Some thoughts
- The resilience of the Belly was very much on display this season and was again tonight. They fell 2-0 behind on the way to a notoriously large defensive team. No matter, they make the 2-2 rush. They trailed 3-2 again, but struck quickly at the start of the third time to level it. This team is not perfect, but is still looking for ways to dig deep and hang around.
- And a lot of the credit goes to Jarry. This is the classic game when they did not get enough goals from the NHL in January or early February. But the past few weeks they’ve got it and Jarry is doing more than his share to keep his team in games long enough for them to figure it out.
- On the other hand, Varlamov was quite shaky about what was a very strong season. But a team has to take advantage of crimes and mistakes and make the opposition pay, and the Pens just did it.
- With Jared McCann on the second line, it was one of Evgeni Malkin’s best matches in a long time. All of McCann, Malkin and Bryan Rust were 60% + Corsi players and the line had a 70% expected goal rate to lead the team, and perhaps the Pens’ second line was a contributing force for the first time.
- Letang’s season is fast approaching. 2 goals and an assist tonight at 25 minutes of ice time to supplement the offense.
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A big win on the road for the Belly to achieve a positive result against a very strong opponent. Pittsburgh move to 4-1-0 over NYI on the season so far, with another game tomorrow that really gives them the chance to exercise dominance and make a statement for the future and put points in the bank if they can find a way to build a winner again.