It can’t be seen as a good thing that the New York Islanders (32-17-7) are facing the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Over the season, the Islanders went 2-4-2 against the Penguins, but a case could be made they are lucky they didn’t end up facing the Washington Capitals. Against the Caps, the Islanders were worse (2-5-1).
It may not matter much because if the Islanders get by the Penguins, chances are they will face the Capitals in the second round.
But if recent history is a good measure, the Islanders could be up to the task against Pittsburgh.
The last time Pittsburgh and New York met in a Stanley Cup playoff series was during the 2019 first round when the Islanders swept a best-of-seven series for the first time since 1983 as the Islanders’ Jordan Eberle scored one goal in each contest.
Varlamov Suffers ‘Strain’
The Islanders tried desperately Monday night to win in regulation to stay alive in the race for third place in the East Division. They pulled Ilya Sorokin for an extra attacker at 18:19 of the third period with the score tied 2-2 against the Boston Bruins, who eventually won 3-2 on Taylor Hall’s second goal of the game.
Semyon Varlamov made 25 saves but did not play in the third period for precautionary reasons after he sustained a “little strain,” coach Barry Trotz said.
Trotz: “Varlamov had a little strain. He could have finished, but we opted to go the safe route. If it was a playoff game, he would have finished."
— x – New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) May 11, 2021
The first period did not go the Islanders way. They were outshot 18-4. But Trotz took some positives out of the way his club fought back.
“It’s not always going to go your way, so you’ve got to battle through the situation,” the Islanders coach said. “I thought we did and we got stabilized, and I thought our second and third periods were pretty darn good.”
Barzal Raising Game
One of the good things happening to the Islanders has been the play of Mathew Barzal. He seems to be heating up just in time. Barzal scored a goal in each of the last two games of the regular season and four in his last six.
“I mean, it’s just nice to get on the board and put a couple in the back of the net,” Barzal said. “It’s always good for the confidence. But thought tonight, especially, I found my game competitively, and I think so did our team. So, it was a good game to get us prepped for the playoffs.”
Barzal finds a corner and ties it up! pic.twitter.com/t9iNISU13q
— x – New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) May 11, 2021
The playoff will match New York’s disciplined defense against Pittsburgh’s explosive offense. The Penguins finished the 56-game regular season as the highest scoring team in the league, averaging 3.45 goals a game. New York finished second in the league in goals allowed (2.23), just behind the Vegas Golden Knights.
Firepower On Penguins
The Penguins, of course, will look to Sidney Crosby for leadership and scoring. But it’s Bryan Rust who has been the Islander killer this season. In eight games, Rust had five goals and three assists against the Islanders.
That line, which includes Jake Guentzel, could wreak havoc on the Islanders’ defense and goaltending tandem.
The Islanders have to worry about defenseman Kris Letang too. Letang scored four goals and added five assists for nine points, while Crosby had three goals and six assists in eight games.
For the Islanders, Jordan Eberle had the most success against Pittsburgh during the season. Eberle scored four goals in eight games against the Penguins. Brock Nelson and Barzal had three goals and three assists each against the Penguins.
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Momentum With Penguins
If you think momentum heading into the playoffs is key, then count out the Islanders, who were mediocre down the stretch, finishing 3-4-3 in their last 10 games. The Penguins, on the other hand, were one of the hottest teams in the league down the stretch, finishing 8-2-0 and winning their final three games straight.
The Penguins, of course, received a boost at the trade deadline by acquiring forward Jeff Carter, who is dangerous when he’s got a hot hand. He showed that hot hand against the Buffalo Sabres on May 6 when he collected four goals and adding another one two days later against the Sabres.
Barzal the feed and Wahsltrom with the one-timer!
We're tied! pic.twitter.com/dGsJiMNH3R
— x – New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) May 11, 2021
Guentzel will attract attention too. He finished the season second to Crosby (24) in goals with 23. Rust (22) was the third Penguins player to pass the 20-goal plateau this season.
Strangely, however, Guentzel was not that effective against the Islanders all season. In eight games, he tallied only one goal but added six assists.
And we haven’t even talked about Evgeni Malkin yet. Malkin did not play the last several minutes of Pittsburgh’s final game of the regular season after he had returned last week from a 23-game absence related to a presumed right knee injury.
The Islanders will not beat the Penguins in a scoring derby, so they will have to impose their defensive will on the Penguins and hope to keep games low scoring. By frustrating Pittsburgh’s elite scorers, the Islanders just might have a chance.
