Pre-game
A multitude of changes for penguins. Jared McCann is back in the IR and Mark Jankowski is out due to a daily injury. Anthony Angello joins his first NHL game of the season, as Drew O’Connor is also out.
First period
The Penguins get two power plays in the first period and do nothing with it. Tristan Jarry does his part to keep his team in a tricky move to find the puck and stop Jordan Eberle.
But then the islanders win on their first and only chance of the game’s powerful game with Brock Nelson posting in front of the net and knocking Oliver Wahlstrom’s shot / pass down to give NYI a 1-0 lead with 1:20 to the end the period.
The total of pitches in the first is 9-7 JNI, 5v5 Corsi is a 50-50 division. NYI has a 6-5 score advantage with a 2-0 5v5 high danger chance advantage.
Second period
The Pens lose 2-0 with just 1:34 when Mat Barzal has unlimited time and space to attack in the attack zone and his shot leaves a jump and passes through Tristan Jarry.
As we have seen several times, setting multiple goals, Pens not only establish and facilitate, but also retaliate. And it is the maligned power game that strikes to make it a 2-1 game courtesy of Sidney Crosby winning a PP clash and getting a pass from Kris Letang and hitting him while Semyon Varlamov loses his balance and gets out of position.
Just 26 seconds later, the Pens tie the game when Kasperi Kapanen makes a pass from behind the net to Letang, who quickly kicks across Semyon Varlamov and is a new game in 2-2, when Letang takes Varlamov deep in your net for another questionable type of goalkeeper, but it counts the same way.
The Pens spoil a chance for a power game and a little later in the period Josh Bailey hits back in front of the net to push the Islanders to a 3-2 lead.
The kicks in the second game are 11-6 Pens, as they struggle to get back in the game, but still have a deficit to overcome in the last 20 minutes.
Third period
The Pens come out strong and just 18 seconds in Jared McCann makes a triumphant return from the IR to fire a shot in the rush of an Evgeni Malkin setup to tie the game at 3 per piece.
The shots on the third are 11-6 Isles, as the Pens hang, courtesy of Jarry, to extend the game.
Over time
With only 26 seconds remaining in the extra period, Kris Letang makes a great move to skate the puck with 3v3 open ice and scores in the race when JG Pageau deflects his shot, but not enough when he passes through Varlamov.
Some thoughts
- The Pens’ resilience has been on display a lot this season and it was again tonight. They were left behind 2-0 on the way to a notoriously large defensive team. It doesn’t matter, they made it 2-2 in a hurry. They were left behind again by 3-2, but attacked quickly at the start of the third to equalize. This team is not perfect, but it continues to find ways to dig deep and stay close.
- And a lot of credit goes to Jarry. This is the classic game when in January or early February they weren’t getting enough NHL caliber goalkeepers. But in the past few weeks they’ve done it and Jarry has been doing more than his part to keep his team in the games long enough for them to find out.
- On the other hand, Varlamov was very upset in what was a very strong season. But a team has to take advantage of mistakes and mistakes and make the opponent pay, and the Pens did just that.
- With Jared McCann on the second row, it was one of the best games for Evgeni Malkin in a long time. All of McCann, Malkin and Bryan Rust were 60% + Corsi players and the line had an expected 70% goal rate to lead the team and, for the first time in the entire season, the Pens second line was a contributing force.
- Letang’s season is fast approaching. 2 goals and an assist tonight in 25 minutes of ice time to help fuel the attack.
–
A big victory on the road for the Pens to get a positive result against a very closed opponent. Pittsburgh has moved to 4-1-0 over NYI in the season so far, with another game tomorrow that really gives them a chance to exercise dominance and make a statement for the future and put points on the bench if they can find a way to again build a winner again.