5
4
There literally is nothing like playoff hockey, and overtime playoff hockey is even better. This game had everything that you want and expect in a playoff game and this series is shaping up to be more entertaining that most would have thought after Game 1.
Before you could even blink, Matt Moulson jammed in a Kyle Okposo shot past Fleury. No idea what happened but 1-0 Islanders. Nasseau was as loud as its ever been, probably because fans actually showed up. Four minutes later, Matt Niskanen tried to clear a puck out, but it hit Grabner. Grabner found Cizikas in front of the net who rifled a one-timer past Fleury. 2-0 Islanders. Sum of all fears for Pens fans. A well placed TV timeout came shortly after, and the Pens started to get to their game. Brenden Morrow kept his feet moving, and Mark Streit hooked him up and he drew a penalty. You just had that feeling that something special was gonna happen. Thirty seconds after that, Travis Haromonica decided he was going to be overly aggressive, and he kneed Jarome Iginla. 5 on 3 for 1:27. And the Pens made them pay. Letang rifled a wrist shot that Iginla tipped in, 2-1 Islanders. 19 seconds later, Malkin finds Kunitz on a beautiful stretch pass and Kunitz was all alone, wrist shot past Nabby's glove. Tied at 2 with a blink of an eye. You had that feeling that with the way the game started, being tied at intermission was a huge win for the Pens. But Best in the World and Super Duper had another idea.
Kunitz gave Best in the world a great pass off the world in which Sid corraled it perfectly. Dupuis drove the net and Sid gave him a perfect backhand pass to give the Pens a 3-2 lead with 1:00 left in the 1st.
What a reaction by Dupuis. Sid had that look in his eye that he would not let his team lose this game. 2 assists in the first for him.
One thing that happened in the 2nd period was the Penguins dictated the pace of play. Numerous times Letang and Paul Martin held the puck in their own zone for 30-40 seconds during a change. This really got the Islanders off their game. In the middle of the period. Matt Cooke got hit into the Islanders bench and Matt Carkner high sticked him in the face....from the bench. Cooke retaliated and both went off for a penatly. Matt Carkner probably got the first penalty ever from the bench without fighting. Matt Carkner sucks. Later in the period, Malkin was dominating down low, dished a perfect saucer to none other than Douglas Murray, who sniped the shit out of Nabokov glove high. 4-2 Pens. You may never see a better shot from a defensive defensemen who doesn't ever score goals. Murray has been underrated so far this series. He also broke up a Tavares breakaway by throwing him through the net. What a player.
The third period had a typical Penguins trying to cling to a 2 goal lead, and they paid for it. Brian Strait took a stupid penalty for the Islanders, and gave the Pens a powerplay that could have virtually sealed the game had the scored. Instead, they decided that they were going to be dickheads and not generate any offense. Note: This powerplay, Bylsma took Iginla off the point of the top unit and added a second defensemen to try to stop the Islanders from getting a breakaway. Brenden Morrow tried a blind pass off the boards to Mark Eaton, and the puck got through the neutral zone. Frans Nielsen made a great pass to Kyle Okposo who somehow stayed onside, shot low on Fleury and the puck snuck in. 4-3 Pens. Nasseau gained some momentum after that and then shortly after, John Tavares decided he was going to show up in the series, used Mark Eaton as a screen and sniped one blocker side on Fleury off the post and in. 4-4.
Just as you thought the game couldn't get any worse, Iginla tripped some dude behind Nabokov and the Islanders went to the Powerplay with about 9:00 left. Matt Cooke would have none of this, and he and Craig Adams took it upon themselves to kill the penalty. Championship like kill by the Pens. With under 3:00 to go in the period, the game had the feeling of Overtime. Then of all people, Douglas Murray sprung free and sniped one off the crossbar.
The beginning of OT had a sort of feel that neither team wanted to make a big mistake. The Islanders made a few more at the beginning than the Pens, but neither team was really generating much offense. Then Bylsma somehow got Sidney Crosby out on the ice with Brian Strait. Sid did an unreal spin move and got around Brian Strait and drove the net like any good player would. Strait decided he was going to take both arms, grab Sid's shoulder and drag him down. Refs arm goes up and Strait gets 2 for holding. After the game, Milbury and Roenick bitched about this call and said it was soft. We'll show you the gif and let you be the judge.
Then, another great coaching move by HCDB, he calls his timeout to be able to keep Sid out on the draw. But then some chode Islanders fan decided to throw trash out on the ice which extended the timeout.
On the powerplay, Paul Martin made a huge play by keeping the puck in. He gave the puck to Sid on the red line. Sid waited for Kunitz to get to the spot he wanted him to, gave him a pass perfect on his stick and Kunitz beats Nabokov high. Game.
Stuff:
- Simon Despres only played 6:12
- Sidney Crosby 3 assists, was easily best player on the ice at all times
- Marc-Andre Fleury only reason Pens had a chance to win this game, he was stellar after the Islanders jumped to a 2-0 lead.
- Evgeni Malkin 2 assists
- Powerplay 3/5, Penalty Kill was 4/4
- Powerplay is clicking at 46%, Penalty Kill is 90%
Game 4 is Tuesday at 7:00 on NBCSN, Root, and TSN.
Big Win.
Go Pens.
