PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – The Pens will meet the New York Islanders in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The start of the series has yet to be announced.
Islanders locked into the fourth spot in the MassMutual Division after Boston beat the Isles 3-2 in overtime on Monday night.
Pens were 6-2 against the Islanders this year, 4-0 at PPG Paints Arena. The teams haven’t met since March 29, with the Isles adding Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac from New Jersey and defenseman Braydon Coburn from Ottawa at the trade deadline. Isles have struggled against the worst two teams in the division recently. However NBC Sports Pierre McGuire told the PM Team on 93.7 The Fan on Monday.
“I think one of the things that caught them was they had two emotional wins over the Rangers,” McGuire told the Fan. “After that they took their foot off the gas against the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils.”
McGuire said it’s a team you can’t take lightly given their veteran status and Stanley Cup winning coach Barry Trotz.
“I’ve done a bunch of their games recently,” McGuire said. “They can play physical. They can play in your face. They can beat you up if they have to. The fourth line of Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck is very good especially since they got Clutterbuck back.”
Their special teams are interesting—22nd on the season with an extra man.
“Their power play is getting better,” McGuire told The PM Team. “It hasn’t been great all year obviously with Andres Lee out that really hurt them. But it’s getting better.”
Then there is their unit with a man down.
“The big to me is their penalty kill,” McGuire said. “They are number one on home ice, 22nd on the road. That would not be very good playing against a Penguins team that can be really great on home ice.”
Matthew Barzal, Brock Nelson, Josh Bailey and Nick Leddy all have 6 points in the season series against the Pens with Semyon Varlamov 1-3 with a 2.86 GAA and .897 save percentage.
Kris Letang has 4 goals and 5 assists against the Islanders in 2021, Sidney Crosby 3 goals and 6 assists. Bryan Rust with 5 goals and 3 assists and Jake Guentzel with 7 points.
The last playoff meeting was an Islanders 4-0 sweep in 2019. McGuire believes this Penguins team is as good as any in the Eastern Conference; mainly because of their veterans, and depth down the middle.
The NHL on NBC reporter and former Pens assistant coach believes the playoffs will begin this weekend. Meanwhile the Pens keep practicing waiting for game one.