N.Y. Islanders Put Forth Complete Game Victory Over Pens

From the desk: THE LONG ISLAND NOMADS

Penguins and Islanders tied; 2-2

I - NYI 4; PITT 3*

II - PITT 2; NYI 1

III - PITT 5; NYI 4

IV - NYI 4; PITT 1

*overtime

Pens get Sixty Minutes of Long Islanders Hockey

A complete game and near shutout, Ilya Sorokin quells any lingering goalie debate in a statement performance.  He faces 31 shots and stops all but one, an inconsequential one at that, at 17:25 of the third period.  Sorokin must now finish out the series.  

To be frank, the Islanders should be up 3-1 in this series, except that Semyon Varlamov in game three failed to rise to the occasion.  Any time the Islanders score four times, they must come away with a victory, but unlike Sorokin on Saturday, Varlamov yielded very consequential goals time and again.

Long Island toned down the hitting, dominated face-offs, frustrated the Penguins into taking penalties while limited their own mistakes.  Cal Clutterbuck and the Islanders antagonized Evgeni Malkin all night and limited Sidney Crosby to just two shots on goal.  The Penguins committed dumb penalties in the third, and the Islanders made them pay a stiff price.  Oliver Wahlstrom and Jordan Eberle scored with 24-seconds of each other.  After going 0 for 3 in games one and two, the Islanders' power play is now 3 for 9 in the last two games.

The Islanders got top-notch goaltending, tight defensively, the power play was in working order, and they got even-strength goals in the second period from Josh Bailey, his second, and Ryan Pulock's first of the playoffs.

Mathew Barzal assisted on Eberle's goal.  He now has three assists in the last two games but is yet to score a goal through four.  Anthony Beauvillier led the Isles with six shots on goal.  Ryan Pulock led the team with a plus-two.

Penguins Outlast Long Islanders in Battle of the Net Minders

From the desk: THE LONG ISLAND NOMADS

Islanders and Penguins Tied; 1-1

I - NYI 4; PITT 3*

II - PITT 2; NYI 1

Penguins Neutralizing Islanders Physicality

Truth be told, this outcome could have been worse.  Semyon Varlamov was that good.  In fact, he was rather brilliant.  Semyon went from being questionable on Monday to stopping 43 of 45 shots on goal but allowing nothing over the final 48:53 minutes of the game.

Should Coach Trotz have stuck with Ilya Sorokin?  That's academic.  Both goalies through two games have proven their worth.  

This is more about Islanders forwards putting pucks in the net.  

Long Island continues bringing the physicality, outhitting the Penguins by a 118-84 margin.  Case in point: the fourth line opened the game against Sidney Crosby's line; Jake Guentzel got knocked on his posterior; when Pittsburgh crashed the net, Matt Martin and company quickly expressed their displeasure; and Oliver Wahlstrom vs. Kris Letang almost became a thing. 

Yet, the Penguins still own a 63-57 advantage in face-offs and an 87-79 edge in shots on goal.  Meanwhile, both teams remain scoreless on the power play - nothing new for the Islanders.  

Pittsburgh's Bryan Rust scored unassisted just 3:30 into the first period.  The backbreaker came roughly ten minutes later when Jeff Carter made it a 2-0 game.  At 14:41 of the second, Josh Baily closes the Islanders' gap to one.  But that's all there was.  

I guess we say Pittsburgh's Tristan Jarry was just as good as Varlamov and maybe better.  After yielding three regulation goals and losing game one in overtime, he faces 38 shots on goal on Tuesday, stopping all but one.

Mathew Barzal ... where are you?

Casey Cizikas, Adam Pelech, and Ryan Pulock were each minus-two for the game, joined by Matt Martin and youngster Oliver Wahlstrom each with a minus-one.