PITTSBURGH (93.7 the Fan) The 2021 NHL Playoffs are upon us and the Pittsburgh Penguins are heading to their 15th consecutive postseason.
The Penguins made the playoffs this year in convincing fashion, by winning the Mass Mutual East Division.
So, who will they be taking on in the first round? The New York Islanders. Oh boy.
Since the Penguins entered the league in 1967, and the Islanders in 1972, the two have faced off in the postseason five times, and the Isles have mostly dominated coming out on top four times.
Not only have the Islanders dominated the Penguins in many postseason meetings, they’ve also outright embarrassed them more often than not.
While there is plenty of storied to come from a playoff series between the Penguins and rivals like the Flyers or Capitals, the Islanders have created a whole new monster of an opponent.
Let’s start all the way back with the new teams’ first postseason meeting in 1975; Also the Islanders first playoff run ever.
Any hardcore fan should know that’s the series the Penguins blew a 3-0 series lead to lose in seven games.
Islanders’ Hall of Fame coach Al Arbour, took “Battlin’” Billy Smith out of the net after three straight losses, and the rest is history.
The two teams met again in 1982, the Penguins had more losses than wins that regular season and the Islanders were on the way to winning their third of four straight Stanley Cups. Islanders would win the first round series in six games.
11 years later and the Penguins are looking for their third straight Cup and are coming off of a President’s Trophy season.
It was a fairly even battle, but in overtime of Game 7, Isles’ forward Dave Volek scored his second of the game, ending the Penguins three-peat dreams.
20 years later, a new era, the duo meet up for the fourth time, and the Penguins finally pull off a series win.
Not just any series win, but a Game 6 overtime goal scored by Brooks Orpik, yes THAT Brooks Orpik, is what sealed the deal.
Then come 2019, we don’t have to go into the gory deatails. The Isles swept the Penguins in four games.
Now we come to 2021 and the Penguins look to have the advantage, but we’ve heard that story before.
We will just have to wait and see how this new series plays out.