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Post-Game Talk: #6| Pittsburgh Penguins @ New York Islanders | May 26th | 6:30 PM | F/W 5-3

MattMartin

MattMartin

Killer Instinct™
Feb 10, 2007
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Long Island
NEW YORK ISLANDERS AT PITTSBURGH PENGUINS











GAME 6: ISLANDERS VS PENGUINS

ISLANDERS LEADS BEST-OF-SEVEN SERIES 3-2

6:30 PM | NASSAU COLISEUM
WATCH: MSG+ | MSG GO | NBCSN | SN360 | TVA SPORTS | NHL.TV
LISTEN: 88.7FM | 103.9FM | 98.7FM




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Preview



Ilya Sorokin is wanted by the Pittsburgh police department for the grand larceny that occurred there on Monday night.

The rookie goaltender stopped 48 of 50 shots from the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 5 to give his New York Islanders a chance to escape with a win that they in no way, shape or form deserved. Josh Bailey took advantage of a blatant gaffe by Pens goaltender Tristan Jarry early in double overtime, and now New York can close out Pittsburgh at the Nassau Coliseum in Game 6.

Pittsburgh deserved a better fate in Game 5, but will they be able to overcome the goaltending of Sorokin and a raucous Coliseum atmosphere to force a Game 7?


Goaltending Mismatch Evident


Entering this series, we all figured the New York Islanders would have the edge in between the pipes. While that has come to be the case, it isn’t featuring the actor many expected.

Semyon Varlamov started 35 of the Isles’ 56 games this season while having a borderline Vezina-worthy season. He had a save percentage of 92.9% with seven shutouts. However, Varlamov was not ready for Game 1 due to injury. Sorokin stepped in and was very solid in the Isles’ opening victory.

However, Varlamov was healthy enough to play in Game 2, and coach Barry Trotz went with his veteran number one goalie. Varlamov gave up a weak goal early in Game 2 to put the Isles behind from the get-go, and then was beaten five times in Game 3. The Isles lost both games.

Trotz turned back to Sorokin for Game 4, and the rookie has stepped in and been tremendous. Sorokin has stopped 77 of 80 shots over the past two games, both wins for his team. In the series, Sorokin has posted a goals saved above expectation (GSAx) of +2.1. He was particularly heroic in Game 5, where the Penguins posted 50 shots, 14 high danger chances and a 65% expected goal rate.
In the other crease, Tristan Jarry has given up at least three goals in four of the five games in this series.

He looked shaky through most of the first four games, and he currently has the worst GSAx mark amongst all goalies to appear in the postseason. However, the ending of Game 5 is what’s most fresh on the mind. Jarry basically handed the Isles the win after his puck handling turnover sprung Bailey alone in the slot.


Isles Bending But Not Breaking


Game 5 is definitely not the type of game the Islanders want to play. If not for a heroic goaltending performance, they’d be the team facing elimination tonight. However, even at their worst, you could see why the Isles will be a hard out.
New York gave up 50 shots, 14 high danger chances and looked uncompetitive for most of the night, but at no point were they out of the game. In fact, the worst position they found themselves in all night was one shot away. This is a team that will grind and defend, and eventually that will wear on a team throughout the duration of a game and especially a series.

The Islanders have given the potent Pittsburgh powerplay just 10 opportunities through the first five games of this series. This plays a huge part in the Isles’ ability to hold Sidney Crosby to just one goal and two points thus far. His linemate Jake Guentzel has also been a complete non factor. It’s actually Jeff Carter, Pittsburgh’s third line center, who has done the most damage for the Pens in this series.
The Isles’ third line with Jean Gabriel Pageau, Kyle Palmieri and Oliver Wahlstrom has been their best line in terms of driving play and playing with the puck. Unfortunately, Wahlstrom was injured in Game 5. and his status for Game 6 is uncertain. If Wahlstrom is out, look for veteran Travis Zajac to slot into the lineup.

The Isles have won back-to-back games to turn a 2-1 series deficit into a 3-2 series lead. They just went on the road and stole a pivotal Game 5. They’re going up against a young goaltender who has been visibly shaky all series long, and now he has to deal with the fact he just single-handedly cost his team a chance to win in the last game.

Additionally, the Isles now head home to play in front of a crowd that was again recently increased in terms of capacity. It’s already one of the loudest and more intimidating buildings in the league, and it now has the added juice of being the final postseason at the historic Nassau Coliseum.

You can argue the Penguins have been the better team in this series and that they are more deserving of having the series lead than the Isles. By saying that, you’re neglecting the importance of goaltending, which is a dangerous game to play. Pittsburgh has been better in terms of generating offense and playing with the puck, but the goaltending mismatch easily makes up that gap.

The Isles’ two best games in this series have been their two games at the Coliseum. With the arena expanding its capacity again up to over 65%, it won’t be an easy night for Jarry and the Penguins.














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Playoff Series History



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RMimagery

RMimagery

Registered User
Jul 22, 2006
3,622
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This team has got heart and balls.

I love when people say Islanders hockey is boring. I just laugh to myself. These last 3 years has been the most fun in a loooong time and I go back to the Cup years as a kid.

Got to close this out at home. Pens have more juice at PPG. Coli will be rocking so hard. Get the first goal and don't look back.

Sori will be the series MVP if Isles advance.

I said to myself before game 5 that the winner will win the series.

The way Jarry is getting hammered by his fans must be deflating.

Wonder how many times he heard "Nice poke check Jarry!" so far...
 
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BMOK33

Registered User
Oct 5, 2005
26,579
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boredmale said:
Just looked at NHL.com, game is at 6:30
Click to expand...

Yeah I knew it would be. They want Vegas on NBCSN and they want this on NBCSN so that forces them to have to put this at 630. The central teams complained about the 830 local starts so the NHL said they would start trying to do 8 which is why many eastern series have been 630 this playoffs
 

Quickdraw2828

Registered User
Aug 2, 2011
3,512
3,357
Boston would be tough, but how nice would it be to send Cindy and the rest of those punchable faced a-holes home two years in a row? :nod:
 

MichaelK

Registered User
Mar 13, 2004
1,704
257
If Wahlstrom is hurt who would replace him? Zajac? The problem is Wahlstrom is the one player who consistently tries to put the puck on net. That is why our second and third lines have been carrying the offense.
 
leeroggy

leeroggy

Registered User
Jan 3, 2010
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One of the Pen's posters, in telling Pen's fans who are bitching about giving up on Fleury, posted this YouTube video about Fleury pulling something similar to Jarry in the 2004 World Junior's gold medal game in 2004! Note who Fluery bounces the puck off of . . .



Amazing how life repeats :laugh:
 
The Winter Soldier

The Winter Soldier

Registered User
Apr 4, 2011
70,803
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Trotz is 100% right, need all players coming out firing their A games Wed. Last night's win was better than a blow out win from the perspective teams usually play well after a blow out their next game. A tough loss like last night, The Pens will be down, Isles need to pounce on that at home in front of their home crowd and close out the series. Don't want to go back to Pittsburg. Knowing the Isles, they will be much better than game 5. This should be their best game of the series. Sorokin is calm, relaxed, and is clearly enjoying the moment. The team has confidence in front of him. Just play your best game, and what ever happens, happens, that's all one can ask for.
 
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leeroggy

leeroggy

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Jan 3, 2010
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Richie Daggers Crime said:
Come up with your own thing, not some stupid shit from somewhere else.
Click to expand...

Says the man who stole his screen name from a punk rock band's lyrics . . .

He's that sort of boy that was never much loved
His idea of fun was society's grudge-
Thats richie daggers crime . . .
 
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Olliemets

Olliemets

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Mar 1, 2018
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Croton on Hudson, NY
The Winter Soldier said:
Trotz is 100% right, need all players coming out firing their A games Wed. Last night's win was better than a blow out win from the perspective teams usually play well after a blow out their next game. A tough loss like last night, The Pens will be down, Isles need to pounce on that at home in front of their home crowd and close out the series. Don't want to go back to Pittsburg. Knowing the Isles, they will be much better than game 5. This should be their best game of the series. Sorokin is calm, relaxed, and is clearly enjoying the moment. The team has confidence in front of him. Just play your best game, and what ever happens, happens, that's all one can ask for.
Click to expand...

I'd hope to see a performance like last season's game 7 vs Flyers. As close to a perfect team performance I've seen in a playoff game. Everyone locked in.
 
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Lame Lambert

Lame Lambert

Fire Lou
Mar 5, 2015
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So who’s in for Wahlly? I’m assuming Zajac or MDC because I can’t see Barry going to Sosa for a playoff game.
 

saintunspecified

Registered User
Nov 30, 2017
6,048
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Tater Trotz said:
So who’s in for Wahlly? I’m assuming Zajac or MDC because I can’t see Barry going to Sosa for a playoff game.
Click to expand...

I think Dal Colle is the best fit because Pageau really makes Zajac redundant (don't really need another RH faceoff specialist), and Dal Colle is less likely to get behind the play defensively.

I hope PIT panics & decides to go with another netminder. For all the deserved grief he's getting, Jarry has been frustrating NYI's dump and chase consistently. Whomever else PIT uses won't be as good a puck handler... in most circumstances.
 

Metnut

Registered User
Jan 19, 2013
1,017
743
Does this game start at 630 and not 7? If so, should update the thread.
 
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