PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) - The Penguins are now 1-10 in their last 11 post-season games after losing Game One to the Islanders, 4-3 in overtime.
Kyle Palmieri, who only scored 2 goals in 17 regular season games for New York, scored 2 goals including the game-winner 16:30 into OT, collecting a bouncing puck just outside the crease and flipping it off Tristan Jarry’s shoulder into the net.
That was ironically appropriate since Jarry is liable to shoulder the blame for this one. He was tough against chances in close and in traffic but had trouble against mid-range shots. Mike Sullivan admitted it was a mixed bag. “I thought Tristan made some big saves throughout the course of the game to get the game where it was at,” Sullivan said, “there were some good saves at both ends of the rink. I just think we need to be better as a group.”
Pens dominated the early going until Palmieri beat Jarry on the short side from the right dot, not the best goal Jarry has allowed. He did redeem himself by getting a piece of the puck on Cal Clutterbuck’s breakaway but unredeemed himself early in the 3rd period when JG Pageau beat him high glove side from the top of the left circle to tie the game, 2-2. Jarry gave up another mid-range goal to Brock Nelson who shot between the circles through Kris Letang but then minutes later stoned Josh Bailey and Leo Komorov.
Palmieri’s game-winner was the first time that Jarry let a point-blank chance get past him. Defenseman Cody Ceci expects Jarry to get over the loss. “He’s been great for all season long,” Ceci said, “he’s stolen us a lonf of game. Even tonight, there were a few times they could have ended it and he made some big saves. He’s a key part of our team and we’re not worried about him.”
With Evgeni Malkin out, Jeff Carter centered Jared McCann and Kasperi Kapanen while Freddie Gaudreau slid over to center with Jason Zucker and Evan Rodrigues on a makeshift third line.
That line got the Penguins on the board 3 minutes after the Islanders had taken the lead. Gaudreau and Rodrigues did nice work keeping the puck deep and Gaudreau stayed with it after a shot was blocked for his 4th goal in 9 post-season games. He has 5 in 103 regular season games.
“That’s a good question,” Gaudreau answered when asked about his post-season success. “I’ve only played I think 9 games in the playoffs so far and it’s just happened. It’s the time of year that I really enjoy and that’s a good thing.”
The Pens survived a scary moment last in the first period.
After NY’s Anthony Beauvillier fanned on a wide open net, Sidney Crosby sent a long pass ahead of Jake Guentzel who caught up to it near the net and was tripped by Ilya Sorokin
Guentzel is lucky he wasn’t seriously injured. Sorokin received just a 2-minute minor and made a sparkling skate save on the ensuing power play.
The double standard of NHL officiating reared its all-too-familiar head when Jeff Carter was assessed a double-minor for high-sticking Brock Nelson the second period. Seeing as Sorokin was given just 2 minutes for what appeared to be a far more dangerous play, the PPG Arena crowd was none too pleased. But they were appeased when the Pens killed it off without much trouble.
Weird timing with 6-and-a-half minutes left in the 3rd period and the score 2-2, the PPG Paints In-Game Entertainment crew (as good as any in the game, btw) played the Animal House “Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor clip.” In a tie game? It was as if they expected something bad to happen and, sure enough, 2 minutes later, the Isles had taken the lead, although Kasperi Kapanen quickly re-tied it.
The Pens will be able to have twice as many fans as today’s 4,672 at Game Two Tuesday night.